
PLATIN 

ANDsBss 

POLISHING 



Zucker & Levett & Loeb Co.. 

NEW YORK. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

<Z^^^^ 

Chap...\._._, Copyright No. 

Shell.:. 2- _; 8 






UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



PRACTICAL 

Plating and Polishing, 



A Special Article on INickel=Plating and Polishing 
. . . .Bicycle Work. . . . 



THE BEST AND I^OST APPROVED (METHODS 



Preparing and Cleaning all Metals for 
Electro=Plating and Polishing. 



ILLUSTRATEi:>. 



^J^^'- 



PUBLISHED BY 

ZUCKKR & LEVETT & LOEB CO. 
NEW YORK. 



-^i*? 



p 



1 




Copyrighted, 1897 

BY 

ZUCKER & LEVETT & LOEB CO., 
New York, U. S. A. 



PREFACE. 

In compiling this work we have endeavored to make 
it practical in every detail, wording it in concise and 
simple language, and avoiding technical terms as much 
as possible. We trust it will prove of benefit to our 
patrons and platers in general. 

New York, April, 1897. 



CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Introductory 7 

Chapter. 

I. Dynamo Electric Machines. 9 

II. Electrical Terms 13 

III. Directions for Setting Up and Operating the 

Improved American Griant Dynamos 14 

IV. Electrical Arrangement of a Plating Plant 21 

V Batteries 30 

VI. Switchboards and Voltmeters 35 

VII. Tanks 39 

VIII. Preparing and Polishing Metals 40 

IX. Cleaning Metals for Nickel Plating 43 

X. Nickel Plating 47 

XI. Polishing Bicycle Work 58 

XII. Nickel Plating Bicycle Parts 60 

XIII. Copper Plating 63 

XIV. Bronze Plating 65 

XV. Brass Plating 67 

XVI. Silver Plating 71 

XVII. Gold Plating 75 

XVIII. Tin Plating 76 

XIX. Galvanoplasty 77 

XX. Dips 79 

XXI. Lacquering 81 

XXII. Chemicals used in Plating Room 82 

XXIir. Articles used in Polishing Koom 90 

XXIV. Useful Information 94 

Index 105 



INTRODUCTORY. 



The sources of current used for electro-plating are 
Dynamo Electric Machines and Batteries. 

Until the introduction of plating dynamos, about 50 
years ago, electro plating was done exclusively by bat- 
teries of various kinds, but at the present time the 
dynamo has almost entirely superseded them, except for 
amateur work and where power is not available. The 
reasons for this are many. In the first place, though the 
first outlay is more for a dynamo, it is far more econom- 
ical in the end, as the exciting fluids of batteries have 
to be changed very frequently and they need constant 
attention ; whereas a dynamo, with the ordinary care that 
would be bestowed on any piece of machinery, will last 
for years. In the second place, the current obtained 
from a dynamo can always be depended upon to be con- 
stant, which is very essential in plating, whereas with a 
battery there are incessant changes going on, which 
makes the current very irregular. Another objection to 
batteries is that they give off fumes which are injurious 
to the health. This latter objection can be overcome 
however by placing the batteries in a closet especially 
built for same, with a wooden shute leading from the top 
into the chimney flue to carry off" the fumes. 



CHAPTER I. 

DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES. 

E!ectro=Deposition by Dynamo. As the Dynamo 
Electric Machine is at the present day the best and 
mosi economical source of current for electro- plating (and 
as this is a practical book on electro-plating and not a 
history of that art) we deem it proper that it should 
receive our first attention. 

It is not our intention to trace, step by step, the 
evolution of the plating dynamo, nor to note the changes 
and improvements that have been made from the time of 
Faraday's discovery up to the present day, but we will 
describe, as clearly and briefly as possible, the electro- 
plating dynamo, as it appears to-day, using our Improved 
American Giant Dynamo as an example. (See Figs, i 
and 2.) Those who are desirous of knowing the 
numerous improvements that have been made since 
the introduction of the first plating dynamo, we refer to 
the numerous text books on this subject. 

A dynamo electric machine consists of the following 
principal parts : 

1. The revolving portion, called the armature, in 
which the electro motive force is developed which pro- 
duces the current 

2. The field magnets, between which the armature 
revolves. 

3. The commutator, by which the currents developed 
in the armature are caused to flow in the same direction. 

4. The brushes that rest on the commutator, which 
are used to collect and transmit the current generated in 
the armature. 



10 

5. The brackets, which support the armature. 
G. The base, to which the brackets and field castings 
are bolted. 





mi 



Fig. I. Improved American Giant Dynamo. Types 2 and 3. 



We have spared no trouble nor expense in designing 
and building our Improved American Giant Dynamos, 
and we feel confident that we' have reached a state 
approaching nearer to perfection than has ever been 
attained before. Whenever there are any improvements 
discovered we do not hesitate to apply them, no matter 
what they may cost, as we believe the only way to retain 
the prestige we have acquired is by keeping thoroughly 
up with the times. 

The machines are of the inverted horse- shoe type, 
having a laminated field, made of the best Swedish 



11 

iron in the smaller and a special cast iron, equal to 
wrought iron, in the larger sizes. 

The armature is thoroughly laminated to prevent 
all possible heating due to "P'oucault" or eddy currents, 
and the armature heads are covered to prevent any dirt 
or oil from entering same, also to prevent the wire from 
receiving mechanical injury. 

The commutator bars are drop-forged copper and are 
thoroughly insulated with mica throughout. 

The machines are shunt wound, and so proportioned 
that it is impossible for them to reverse, that is, the cur- 
rent to flow through the solution in the opposite 
direction to what it should, an evil so often encountered 
and dreaded by the plater. 

The bearings are made of a special alloy, harder 
than phosphor bronze, and are provided with an auto- 
matic oiling device, which keeps the shaft of the arma- 
ture constantly lubricated. 

The Improved American Giant Dynamos are unex- 
celled in point of simplicity. All the parts are in sight 
and easily accessible, and the armature can be removed 
and replaced by any one in a few minutes. 

We furnish with each dynamo a diagram and full 
directions how to keep the same in proper order, also 
how to remove the armature and other parts. 

As a dynamo plays a very important part in the Art 
of electro-plating, great care should be exercised in 
selecting one, and the following points should be ob- 
served : 

1. The workmanship and material should be of the 
best, and all parts should be of ample size, especially the 
commutator and bearings. The bearings should have 



12 

self-oiling attachments, thereby insuring thorough lubri- 
cation. 

2. The machine should run without sparking at the 
commutator, as sparking causes the commutator to wear 
away rapidly and unevenly, so that it has to be frequently 
taken out and turned down. 

3. The brushes and holders should be of simple 
design so that they may be easily kept clean, and should 
have a simple and efficient tension device so that the 
proper pressure may be obtained at all times. 

4. A dynamo should be able to keep up its voltage 
or pressure under a full load, as the steadiness of the 
current depends on this. 

5. In purchasing a dynamo it is always well to select 
one of a little larger capacity than is actually needed, 
as the wear and tear on a dynamo, like on an engine or 
boiler, is much less when not run to its fullest capacity. 



13 
CHAPTER II. 

ELECTRICAL TERMS. 

We will have occasion in the following pages to use 
a few electrical terms, and for those who are not already 
acquainted with same we give the following information: 

Volt. — A volt is the unit of electrical pressure, and 
is used the same as pound pressure is used when applied 
to a steam boiler or water pipe. 

Ampere. — An ampere is the unit of quantity, and is 
used to denote amount of current flowing, in the same 
way that gallons or cubic feet per minute are used when 
applied to steam or water. 

Ohm or Resistance. — An ohm is the unit of resist- 
ance, and corresponds to the friction that exists where 
water is flowing through a pipe. For example: To use 
the water pipe as an illustration, suppose that at 100 lb. 
pressure, at the reservoir or pump, a pipe of given dimen- 
sions delivers one hundred gallons of water per minute. 
If we increase the pressure from one hundred to two 
hundred pounds the delivery would be increased from 
one hundred to two hundred gallons. Now suppose 
that with the original pressure of 100 lbs. the length of 
the pipe be doubled (or the area reduced to ^) only 
one-half the amount of water, or 50 gallons, would be 
delivered. 

The above examples may be applied to electricity 
by using a wire in place of a pipe and volts and amperes 
instead of pressure and quantity. 

Therefore it can be readily seen that there exists a 
definite relation between the above electrical terms, 
namely; volt, ampere and ohm. 



14 



CHAPTER III. 



DIRECTIONS FOR SETTING UP 

AND OPERATING THE IMPROVED 

AflERICAN GIANT DYNAMO. 



Position. — Select a convenient dry position for the 
machine, where there is plenty of light, if possible. Set 
on a suitable base, so that there will be no shaking or 
vibration. Do not have the machine near any polishing 
machinery, as the emery and dust will soon ruin the 
best dynamo. 




Fig. 2. Improved American Giant Dynamo. Types 4 to 8. 



15 

Belting.— Use a good quality pliable belt of the full 
width of the pulley. Make the lacing as smooth as pos- 
sible. A great deal of unnecessary trouble is caused by 
patching up old scrap belts to use on dynamos. The 
tension of the belt should be just sufficient to prevent it 
slipping on full load. If any tighter it only wears out 
the bearings. If possible the dynamo should be placed 
so as to have a slanting rather than a vertical belt, and 
so that the under side of the belt does the pulling. 

Speed. — Run the machine the exact speed that is 
stamped on the name plate. If the dynamo does not do 
its work, find out whether the trouble is not due to the 
speed being too low. In case the dynamo does not run 
fast enough do not change its pulley. To increase the 
speed, change the pulley on countershaft. If necessary, 
a larger pulle}^ may be put on dynamo to reduce the 
speed to that marked on the plate. 

Oil. — Use only a good, light quality of mineral oil. 
Never use animal or vegetable oils. They may be more 
expensive, but are not as good, and are liable to gum 
and corrode the bearings. While the machine is running 
pour oil into the oil boxes slowly until lubricating ring 
is seen to work well. If too full the oil will drip out of 
the ends of the boxes. If too little is put in, the oil ring 
will fly around and throw the oil. When the oil is dirty 
draw it out through the drip cocks and refill 

Care and Cleanliness. — Keep the machine clean, 
especially the brushes and commutator. Never use a file 
on the commutator, but clean off same once or twice 
a day with a clean rag, and if necessary with very fine 
sand paper, say No. o. Then put the smallest possible 
amount of oil on the end of the finger and rub over the 
commutator. Never put enough oil on so that the 



16 

commutator looks greasy and dirty. Never use Emery, as 
it will cut the commutator and the brushes badly; this is 
important. If strip copper brushes are used they should 
be filed to a proper bevel, when necessary, in a jig pro- 
vided for that purpose. Wire Gauze Brushes cannot be 
easily filed but can be trimmed with scissors, which 




Fig. 3. Position of Brushes on Commutator. 

must be carefully done. As the wire brushes are of a 
soft and spongy nature, it is essential, to insure good 
running, that they be handled carefully while being in- 
serted and adjusted, so that they may retain their shape. 

Tension and Position of Brushes. — The brushes 
should be adjusted to make a light but positive contact. 
They should be given a fair and even bedding on the 
commutator. If they are badly adjusted and bear on the 
heel or toe, or on one side, the machine is liable to spark. 
See Fig. 3. 

A broad, not a heavy contact is required. The 
brushes and rocker arm are set correctly on leaving the 
factory, but it will not do to trust to their being correct 



17 

when the machine is received, as the rocker arm may 
have become shifted in transit. Loosen the clamp screw 
and move the brushes forward or backward while the 
d^-namo is generating until a place is found where it 
runs without sparking. Never try to regulate the cur- 
rent by changing the position of the rocker arm. The 
regulation should be made by means of switchboards, or 
resistance boards, which we can provide for the purpose. 
Plug Switch. — Some of our dynamos have a triple 
plug switch on the terminal board, as shown in Fig. 4, 
the object of which is to increase or decrease the intensity 




Fig. 4. Plug Switch. 

of the current. When a small amount of work is in the 
tanks, the dynamo should be run without any of the 
plugs AAA being inserted in the metal plate B, and as 
more work is put into the tanks, the plugs may be in- 
serted one by one in order to keep the voltage constant. It 
does not matter which hole is used first. The cut shows 
one of the plugs inserted in the metal plate. There are 
three holes in the wood to hold the plugs when not in 



18 

use. Do not hammer the plugs in but twist them in 
lightly with the fingers. It is frequently unnecessary to 
use these plugs on certain kinds of work even with a full 
load, as the dynamo will give sufficient intensity without 
them. It is better to cut down the intensity of the cur- 
rent by the withdrawal of the plugs than by putting a 
resistance into the circuit by means of switchboards, 
though both are necessary at times. 

Fig. 5 shows two views of the Multipolar American 
Giant Dynamo, which is a six pole steel machine with a 
commutator at each end of the armature. This style 
dynamo is built of such generous proportions that it 
can be run at the low speed of 400 to 500 revolutions 
per minute with very little friction and comparatively no 
heat. 

Heretofore one of the weak points of very large 
plating dynamos was an insufficient brush surface. This 
fault has been overcome in the 1896 type of the Im- 
prov^ed American Giant Dynamos, they having double the 
brush surface per ampere of any low voltage machine built. 

As low voltage dynamos require very large com- 
mutators, the arrangement of two commutators was 
adopted with the view of giving ample surface for col- 
lecting the current. The two windings of the armature 
connecting with each commutator are carefully insulated 
from each other, and in case of an accident to one of the 
windings, the machine could be run on something like a 
two-thirds load on the remaining winding until repairs 
could be effected. 

When requested, these dynamos are connected with 
the windings either in parallel or in series. As ordina- 
rily used the windings are connected in parallel, but in 
the case of a plating room where solutions requiring 



19 




Fig 5. Two Views of the Multipolar American Giant Dynamos. 



20 

different intensities are used, the windings may be 
connected in series, as by this arrangement the current 
can be taken from the dynamo at two different voltages 
by simply connecting the leads to the terminals of one or 
both of the windings. 

By careful design this machine has been built self 
exciting, with almost no drop in voltage, a result never 
before obtained in plating dynamos of this size. 



21 
CHAPTER IV. 

ELECTRICAL ARRANGEMENT OF A 
PLATING PLANT. 

The connections between the dynamo, switchboards 
and tanks, should be of the best in order to secure good 
results. Also, the location of the dynamo has an im- 
portant bearing on the cost in large plating rooms. 

We shall consider this subject under three heads : 

1. Arrangement of Dynamo and Tanks. 

2. Size of conductors. 

3. Joints, or connections. 

Arrangement of Dynamo and Tanks.— The djmamo 
and tanks should be placed as near together as possible. 
If two or three tanks only are used a suitable arrange- 
ment is to have the tanks in one line with the dynamo 
at one end of the line. See Fig:. 6. 



k I. 1 






1 e 




1 ^ 




n 1 


2>t/7V. 




-Ta.nl% 




Tay^K 




Tec -r^Tf. 







Figure 6. 

If a large number of tanks is used and it is desirable 
on account of convenience to have them in one line, it 
would be well to have the dynamo in the center of the 
line, (as shown in Fig. 7), as the main conductors would 
only have to be one-half the diameter (which would 
be \ the weight) that would be required if the dynamo 



22 



was at one end of the line, thereby saving about | of 
the weight of copper. 

If on the other hand, an extra large number of tanks 
is used it would be considerably more economical to 



i 



23 



P[ 



I 1- ^y 



Elt^ 



-CH 



1? 



V^ 



^X 



arrange them in two parallel lines, comparatively near 
together, with the dynamo between the lines and an 
equal distance from the ends, (see Fig. 8), effecting a 
still further saving in the copper over the second 
arrangement. The advantage of proper arrangement 
of tanks increases rapidly with the size of the plant, 
the saving in large plants amounting in some cases 
to several hundreds of dollars. 



24 

The reason for this will be shown later on, under 
the heading of "The Size of Conductors" In the 
above arrangements it is immaterial what kind or how 
many kinds of solution are used. 

In many large plating plants running only one kind 
of solution requiring a lojv voltage or pressure, such as 
acid copper, nickel or silver, the following system is the 
best, as it maintains exactly the same voltage or pressure 



TanTts 



m\i\\^mmw^ 




Figure lo. 



at each tank. This will enable the plater to control all 
the tanks with one switchboard, and economically insures 
an even deposition of metal, which could only be ob- 
tained in other systems of waring by the expenditure of 
a large amount of money in copper conductors. 

In the common system of wiring, the tank farthest 
from the dynamo has the least pressure, on account of 



25 

the resistance of the main conductors, though by making 
these excessiveh^ large the difference would be reduced 
to a minimum, but at the expense of a great outlay. 

An examination of Figures 9 and 10 of the system 
under consideration, reveals the fact that each tank is 
electrically the same distance away from the dynamo, 
and therefore they wilt all have the same voltage, 
though that voltage or pressure would be determined by 
the size of the main conductors. 

For example, if we start from tank A we see that as 
we go toward tanks B, C, D, etc., while we are getting 
farther away from the dynamo on the + or positive con- 
ductor we are getting exactly the same distance nearer 
to the dynamo on the — or negative conductor. There- 
fore as we go from tank to tank the increasing resistance 
on the positive conductor is compensated for by the 
decreasing resistance on the negative condtictor. 

Though the conditions in different plating plants vary 
greatly, the systems and arrangements given above will 
be found to cover all ordinary contingencies. In partic- 
ular cases where more exact information is required we 
will be pleased to submit a plan and specifications show- 
ing the most economical and practical system of wiring, 
etc., provided we are given a plan of the room and 
informed of the number, size and location of tanks and 
the kinds of solution and work to be run. 

The Size of Conductors. — As has been stated before, 
the tanks should be as near as possible to the dynamo, 
or considerable electrical power will be lost in the con- 
ductors, unless the size of same is increased. This in- 
crease is as the square of the distance. For example, 
if a dynamo carried a certain load satisfactorily, using a 
half inch conductor, the distance. from the tanks being: 



26 

•30 feet, if the distance is increased to 60 feet the size con- 
ductors necessarj^ would have to be increased to about 
f" diameter or four times the weight ; if increased to 120 
feet it would be necessary to use 1" conductors, which 
would increase the weight of copper 16 times over the 
original weight of the 30 foot conductors. So it can be 
readily seen that unless great care is used in laying out 
a plating plant, the conductors will increase the cost of 
same to a considerable extent. 

The holes in the binding posts of our dynamos are 
made to hold the proper size connecting wires or main 
conductors so that the farthest tank may be 40 feet away 
from the dynamo. If any of the tanks are farther away 
the diameter of the main conductors should be increased 
as above stated Outside of the matter of cost the con- 
necting wires and main conductors can never be too 
large, as the larger they are the less power will be lost. 

The size of the connecting wire between the main 
conductors and tanks depends upon the number of tanks. 
If only 1 tank, of course the full size of the main con- 
ductors should be run to it; if 2 tanks the diameter of 
connecting wires to each tank should be about Yz that 
of the main conductors ; if 3 to 7 tanks, about ^ the 
diameter; if 8 to 15, about yi the diameter; if 16 to 
25, about ^ the diameter. 

As for the tank rods, no particular attention need be 
paid to them from an electrical standpoint, as the me- 
chanical strength required always makes them large 
enough to give ample conductivity. If more definite 
instructions are required we will be pleased to submit 
plans and specifications as to the most economical mode 
of wiring, etc., as stated before. 



27 

Joints or Connections.— Since the currents used in 
plating are of large amperage and generally of extremely 
low voltage it is evident that they must have a path to 
travel on from the dynamo through the tank or tanks 
and back through the switchboards (if switchboards are 
used) to the dynamo, of very low resistance ; otherwise 
a large proportion of the pressure will be lost. 

The first joint that is made is the connection between 
the dynamo and the main wires or rods. The holes in 
the dynamo binding posts should be carefully cleaned 
with sandpaper or a scraper. The ends of the wires or 
rods should be of a diameter to just fit the holes in the 
binding posts. 

Wires smaller than the holes in binding posts should 
never be used. This is contrary to ordinary practice 
and many platers will disregard the manufacturers' 
advice and put in wires of one-half or even one-quarter 
the size recommended and required. 

Where the main conductors are small, say from 
about >4" to >^", they are often started from the dynamo 
and run their whole length in one piece without break. 

Where larger sizes are used, fiom about ^" and 
upward, the copper comes in lengths of about 12 feet. 
The common way of connecting these rods is to place 
the ends together and connect them by a casting or 
coupling, each rod being held by one or two small set 
screws. This construction is extremely bad and may be 
compared to connecting two gas pipes by putting the 
ends together and wrapping the joint with a few layers 
of muslin. Some of the gas would propably go through 
the pipe, but no one could tell how much. It would be 
safe, however, to predict a big leakage from the joints. 



38 

In big rods carrying heavy currents the joints 
should be as carefully made as in gas or steam pipe. 
The best way is to use brass pipe fittings. Both the 
fittings and the ends of the rods should be tinned, and 
after being screwed solidly together should be sweated. 

If, however, the above is not practicable and it is 
necessary to use couplings, take precautions to have the 
rods fit snugly the whole length of the couplings. In 
one of the best equipped plating rooms in the country all 
joints in the main conductors are made with T couplings 
tapped for the 1}('' main conductor and a }4" branch 
to each tank. The rods are cut to just the right length, 
so that a joint comes over each tank. There is practi- 
cally an even voltage all over the whole room, which is 
a large one, about 50x100 feet. Moreover, each tank is 
supplied with a plug cut-out, (see Fig. ii)' which 




Fig II. Plug Cut-out 



enables the operator to cut out any one of the tanks at 
will, without interfering with the other tanks. 

Connections may be made between round rods and 
wires, as illustrated in Fig. 12. 



29 





ocreur 



Soldered, 




t^l^ -for ^oXd.e.r. 



y^am Caniix^ctoir 

Figure la. 

It is not by any means essential to use round rods 
for conductors, as any other shape is just as good electri- 
cally, and some are more convenient to handle. They 
must, however, be of the same weight per foot as the 
proper size round rod. 



30 



CHAPTER V. 

BATTERIES. 

Where a small amount of work is to be done, or it 
is impossible to get power for a dynamo, it is sometimes 
necessary to use batteries for plating. 

The two batteries commonly used are the Smee and 
Bunsen. 

The Smee battery is a single fluid cell and consists 
of a pair of zinc plates between which is a plate of 
carbon. The fluid is sulphuric acid, diluted about one 
part acid to seven or eight parts water. 




Figure 13. Smee Battery. 

The principal objections to the Smee battery are : 

1. Plating requires from Y^ to 1% volts for silver to 
4 to 8 volts for brass. The Smee battery gives from .5 
to .6 volts. Therefore it is necessary to use, even for 
the smallest amount of work, about 2 to 4 cells for silver 
and 7 to 12 cells for brass. 

2. The Smee battery when giving its full current 



31 

does not utilize the full force obtainable from the con- 
sumption of zinc in acid owing to the fact that hydrogen 
gas is generated in quantity and deposited on the negative 
plate. This introduces a high internal resistance and 
cuts down the current sometimes over one-half. As the 
quantity of hydrogen on the plates is very variable it 
follows that the current is also uncertain. 

The Bunsen Battery. — This cell consists of a porous 
cup, either round or oblong, placed inside of a glass or 
earthenware jar, of similar shape. The zinc plate is 
rolled into a C3'lindrical form and placed outside of the 
porous cup. The carbon plate, or plates, are placed 
inside the porous cup, which is filled nearly full of com- 
mercial nitric acid of 3G degrees Beaume. The solution in 
the outer jar is dilute sulphuric acid of : 1 part acid to 7 
parts water or 1 part acid to 17 parts water. 




Figure 14 

With the Bunsen Battery we get about 1.7 volts per 
cell or three times that of the old Smee cell. The 
introduction of the porous cup and use of two acids 
effectually prevents the deposition of gas on the nega- 



33 

tive plate, making this battery very powerful and even 
in its action and economical in its operation. This bat- 
tery has a very- large zinc surface resulting in large 
quantity of current and a low resistance, which means 
small internal waste. 

In both batteries the zincs should be thoroughly 
amalgamated with mercury. This is done by dipping 
the plates in dilute sulphuric acid and immersing in 
mercury ; or b}^ pouring the mercury on them and work- 
ing it over the entire surface with a cloth or coarse 
brush. 

In using the Bunsen battery care should be taken 
not to spill any of the nitric acid into the sulphuric acid 
solution. 

To obtain the required voltage or pressure the cells 
are connected in series, that is, the carbon of one cell is 
joined to the zinc of the next, and so on throughout the 
line ; the carbon on one end of the series is joined to 
the anodes, the zinc on the other end to the work. 

B}^ this arrangement we get the force of each cell 
added to that of the next. Assuming for any given 
work that it is necessary to have 4^ volts and that each 
cell gives 1 )^ volts, it would be necessary to put three 
cells in series. 

We beg to repeat what we have said regarding bat- 
teries, that we do not advocate the use of same in any 
case except when a party has no power or has very little 
work to be done, as batteries are expensive and uncleanly. 
We should not recommend them in any case where the 
amount of .solution exceeds 25 gallons. 

There are three arrangements for connecting batter- 
ies: Series, Parallel and Series- Parallel. 

We give a sketch on the opposite page of these 



33 



/^eried drrangement. 








^ ^ Serle s - Tar aZleZ arrange ^eTzt, 




34 

different modes of connection. In the Series arrangement 
it will be seen that the negative pole or zinc is connected 
with the positive pole or carbon of the next cell, the zinc 
being connected with the following carbon of the next 
cell, and so on. In the Parallel arrangement the carbons 
are all connected together and the zincs are all connected 
together. In the Series- Parallel arrangement the carbon 
of the first cell is connected v/ith the carbon of the third 
cell, the zinc of the first cell is connected with the carbon 
of the second cell, the zinc of the second cell is connected 
wdth the zinc of the fourth cell, and the zinc of the third 
cell with the carbon of the fourth. By referring to the 
figure on the preceding page this can be traced out so 
that the inexperienced can determine. 

Now we will see when it is advisable to use these 
different arrangements. To determine the number of 
cells to be used in series one must be guided by the 
amount and the resistance of the work to be done. By 
arranging the cells in series the pressure or voltage of 
the current is increased without increasing the quantity 
or amperage. By arranging them in parallels the quantity 
or amperage is increased without increasing the pressure 
or voltage. By arranging them in series parallel both the 
pressure and quantity is increased. Arrangement in 
parallel is little if ever used in plating. The Series-Paral- 
lel arrangement is used when a large amount of work is 
desired to be done at one time in one tank. 



35 




Figure i6. 



CHAPTER VI. 

SWITCHBOARDS AND 

VOLTMETERS. 

Switchboards or resistance boards 
are used to regulate the current. The 
longer and finer the various wires on 
a switchboard, the greater the resist- 
ance and the smaller the current. 

It is thus possible, by using a 
switchboard having a number of wires 
of various sizes, to so regulate the 
current that any required amount may 
be allowed to flow through the tank 
or tanks in series with same. 

As the qualit}' and also the weight 
of the deposit depends upon the current 
densit3% (or number of amperes per 
square foot), it is necessary as a rule 
to use switchboards in circuit with 
the tanks. Where only one tank of 
several kinds of solution is used, it is 
necessary to have a switchboard for 
each tank. Where, how^ever, several 
tanks of the same kind of solution are 
used, it is much handier to regulate 
them all from one switchboard. 

For example, in the plating rooms 
of large bicycle factories, it is custom- 
ar}' to run only one or two tanks of 
copper solution and several of nickel 



36 

solution. In this case the nickel tanks can all be con 
trolled from one large switchboard and the copper tanks 
can be connected to the main conductors between the 
dynamo and switchboard, so as to get the whole pres- 
sure of the current. 




Figure 17. 

Voltmeter.— A voltmeter" is used to show the 
pressure or voltage. The cut above (figure 17) represents 
a special voltmeter which can be connected with any 
number of solution tanks, and by means of which the 
plater can determine the voltage entering any of the same 
by simply moving the lever to the corresponding button. 

With one of these special voltmeters to indicate the 
strength of the current, and a switchboard or switchboards 



m 



^im 



z^ 



r^r-^ 



n^~w 



n^~g 







-h 






.^^ 









i 



1^ ^ 



5^" 




O 



:^0' 



Li 



I 

^ 



to regulate same, the operator will alwa3^s have the current 
under absolute control. 

On the preceding page is shown a diagram of a com- 
plete plating room, showing a switchboard for each tank 
and a special voltmeter, and how they are connected wdth 
the dynamo and tanks. 

The dynamo being fixed as per directions on pages 14 
to 20, connect the positive binding post of same, by means 
of a heavy wire or cable, to the main conductor P or anode 
rod running along the wall, and the negative to the main 
conductor N. Connect the main conductor P with the 
anode rod of tank A. If more than one anode rod is used 
in a tank, connect them together at the other end of tank , 
as shown in diagram. From cathode rod of tank C, run 
a wire to one of the binding posts of the switchboard, S. 
Run a fine w ire from the same binding post to one of the 
lower binding posts of the voltmeter, V. From the binding 
post, X, on the right hand side of the voltmeter, run a 
fine wire to the main conductor, P. Connect the other 
binding post of switchboard, S, to the main conductor, N. 



39 

CHAPTER VII. 

TANKS. 

Tanks which are used to hold electro plating solution 
should be made of well seasoned two inch pine heavily 
bolted and dovetailed together, and made in such a man- 
ner that they are absolutely free from leakage. They 
should be lined with material that is not acted upon by 
the vSolution which is to be placed in the tank. 

When not in use, all wooden tanks should be filled 
with water, for no matter how well a tank is made or 
how^ good the material, it will in time dry out and crack 
if left empty. 

For nickel plating, a tank should be lined with 
a mixture of asphaltum and pitch. 

For copper, brass, silver, gold, or any plating solution 
containing C3^anide, it is better to line the tank with 
parafhne, which should be well ironed into the wood. 

Enameled lined iron tanks are best for all hot 
cj-anide solutions, although many use plain iron tanks for 
hot cyanide of copper solution. 

When iron tanks are used great care is requisite in 
order to prevent the copper rods or tubes used for sus- 
pending the anodes and woi k in the bath from coming 
in contact with the tank, which would caUvSe a short 
circuit. 



40 



CHAPTER VIII. 

PREPARING AND POLISHING METALS. 

Cast Iron Work.— Such as stove, grate and fender 
work, which is not intended to be plated. 

If the casting is very dirty it is advisable to first 
immerse in a pickle composed of six fluid ounces of 
sulphuric acid and one gallon of water to remove all the 
scale, after which it should be thoroughly rinsed in cold 
water made alkaline, so as to neutralize any of the acid 
that is left in the pores ; then proceed to rough up on a 
Leather Covered Wood Wheel, Buff Leather, Solid Bull- 
neck or Canvas Wheel, running 1600 to 2000 revolutions 
per minute, coated with No. HO emery, unless the casting 
is a very poor one, when it should first be ground down 
on a grind stone or solid emery wheel ; after roughing 
up with No. 60 emery, fine with No. 90, and then finish 
with No. 150 emery. 

To set up or coat a wood wheel with emery, first 
cover with glue and then roll the wheel in emery until 
the face is entirely covered with the emery, and then it 
should be set aside to dry, when it is ready for use. 

Cast Iron Work.— Which is to be plated, such as 
pistol or stove work. Rough up with Nos. 80, 120 and 
flour emery as described in preceding paragraph. Then 
use a glaze wheel made with Patent Emery Compound 
for finishing and coloring. 

A glaze wheel for this kind of work is either a 
Leather Covered Wood Wheel, Bullneck, Buff Leather 
or Felt Wheel prepared as follows : first apply oil to the 
wheel by means of a roll rag or a daub and then Patent 
Emery Compound while the wheel is in motion. 



41 

Brass Castings. — Dry-faced or Chandelier work. 
Put ill a pickle (about 5 quarts of oil of vitriol to 10 
gallons of water) and leave in over night. This cleans 
out the dirt which is left in the casting. (Only use the 
pickle w^hen castings are extremely dirty and rough.) 
Then dip in regular dipping acid, {}{ nitric to ^ sul- 
phuric acid,) rinse in water thoroughly, and dry. Rough 
up on a Leather Covered Wood Wheel, Bullneck, Walrus 
Canvas or Felt Wheel, depending upon the work, coated 
with No. 80 emery, then with No. 120 emery ; finish 
with flour emery and grease on a Leather Covered Wood 
Wheel, or Patent Emery Compound on a bleached buff, 
revolving 1,600 to 2,500 revolutions per minute. Cut 
down or polish with Crocus Composition B, A, BE or FF 
or Tripoli Composition XXXX, Acme X or R on an 
unbleached wheel, revolving 2500 to 3000 revolutions per 
minute. If tubular work, use our Patent Piece Sewed 
BufF. If matted work, wash the composition out with 
381 Cleaning Compound (>^ lb. to 1 gallon of hot water,) 
rinse in hot water and dry in boxwood saw^dust. Color 
up with CCCC, SSSS, SvSS, SS, or SXXXX Hard 
Rouge, depending on finish required, on an unbleached 
or Canton flannel wheel, revolving 2,500 to 3,000 revolu- 
tions per minute. Then for an extra fine finish which is 
wanted on fine work, such as chandelier work, wash out 
the rouge with 681 Cleaning Compound, rinse in hot 
water, then dry in boxwood sawdust. Dry buff with 
Hard Rouge on Canton flannel wheel, revolving 2,500 to 
3,000 revolutions per minute. 

Green Sand Work. — Steamboat and plumber's fit- 
tings, etc. Pickle and dip same as for dry sand castings 
(if very dirty and rough, but it is not necessary unless 
veiy dirty,) rough up first with a Leather Covered Wood 



42 

Wheel or Bullneck, Canvas or Felt Wheel coaled with 
No. 80 emery, revolving 1,600 to 2,00U revolutions per 
minute, fine with same kind of wheels coated with 120 
emery and finish with our Patent Emer>^ Compound on 
a bleached buff. Cut down or polish with our Tripoli 
Composition on an unbleached wheel, revolving 2,500 to 
3,000 revolutions per minute. Color up on Canton flan- 
nel or unbleached muslin wheel revolving 2,500 to 3,000 
revolutions per minute with our Hard Rouge CCCC, 
SSSS or SSS, depending on the finish required. 

Oil Work.— Brass, Copper, etc. Cut down with 
composition, such as our Tripoli XXXX or Acme X or 
Crocus B or BB on our Patent White Buff, running 2500 
to 3,000 revolutions per minute. Color on an unbleached 
wheel with Hard Rouge CCCC or SSSS. 

To wash out compositions, rouge, grease and dirt 
from articles, use for large brass, copper, iron and steel 
work our No. 381 Cleaning Compound (dissolve )^ lb. in 
one gallon of hot water ;) for brass, German silver, etc., 
use 681 C. C. (dissolve Yo lb. to one gallon of hot water). 

Brittania Metal, 5heet Brass and Sheet Copper. — 
Sand buff with pumice stone and oil on our Sand Buffing 
Compound, using No. 1. or No. 2 pumice, depending on 
roughness of the metal. This to be used on a Walrus, 
Bullneck or Buff Leather Wheel running 2,500 to 3,000 
revolutions per minute. Brass and Copper work can 
then be finished and colored as described above, whereas 
Brittania Metal is finished and ready to plate after sand 
buffing. 



43 



CHAPTER IX. 

CLEANING METALS FOR NICKEL 

PLATING. 

The success of all kinds of electro-plating depends 
upon the work being chemically clean, that is free from 
all grease and dirt. This especially applies to Nickel- 
Plating, as the chemical character of a nickel solution is 
such that it has no dissolving action on grease, etc. , and 
the deposit will surely strip or peel from the greasy spots. 
The operation of cleaning the articles differ in many 
establishments, but the following methods are those which 
have been found best from practical experience. 

Copper, Brass, Brittania Metal, Tin and Pewter.- 

1 . Steep the work in a boiling solution of Potash or 
Salicornia Lye for a few minutes to remove grease and 
dirt. The stronger the solution the less time it is 
recCvSsar}^ to leave the work in. To make the solution, 
dissolve 4 to S ozs. of Salicornia Lye in one gallon of 
water in a kettle, and keep boiling hot. 

2. Rinse well in hot water. 

3. Dip in cyanide of potash solution, made by 
dissolving ^4 lb. of fused cyanide in one gallon of water. 
This is to remove any ox3'dation that may have been 
formed on the work. 

4. Rinse well, first in hot and then in cold water, so 
that all the potash and cyanide is thoroughly removed 
from the work, as none must on any account get in 
the solution, noticing if the water wets the whole sur- 
face of the work and runs off without runnin": from 



44 

some parts of the work only, as it does with anything 
that is greasy. If this is the case the w'ork has been 
properly cleaned; if not, dip in pota.sh and cyanide and 
rinse as before, then hang at once in the solution without 
at any time touching the work with the fingers, as the 
grease from the fingers will adhere to the work. 

Tin, Brittania metal and pewter should not be left 
long in the lye and cyanide solutions, as those solutions 
exert a solvent action on tin and its alloys. Hence have 
strong solutions of both, and only^ leave in a few^ seconds. 

Steel Articles — 

1. Steep in the potash or Salicornia hye solution. 

2. Rinse in hot water. 

3. Scour with pumice. 

4. Rinse in cold water. 

5. Dip for a moment in dilute muriatic acid (muriatic 
acid one quart, water four quarts.) 

6. Again rinse thoroughly in cold water. 

7. Rinse in lime water (if the work is porous, other- 
wise it is not necessary) and again in clean cold water, 
and then hang in the nickel solution. Some platers use 
oxalic acid in place of muriatic acid, one pound of 
oxalic acid to one gallon of w^ater. It is a good p'an to 
have a hot cyanide dip to use on steel work, particularly 
case-hardened w^ork. 

Cast Iron. - 

1. Steep in potash or Salicornia Lye as before. 

2. Rinse in water as before 

3. Let the article remain for some time in a pickle 
composed of sulphuric acid, viz., 4 quarts sulphuric acid 
to 10 gallons of water. This is partially to dissolve and 
remove scale. 



45 

4. Dip for a moment in dilute muriatic acid, as 
before. 

5. Rinse in water as before. 

6. Rinse in lime water (if the work is porous, other- 
wise it is not necessary) and again in clean cold water 
and then hang in the nickel solution. Some platers use 
oxalic acid in place of muriatic acid, one pound of 
oxalic acid to one gallon of water. It is a good plan to 
have a hot cyanide dip to use on steel work, particularly 
case-hardened work. 

To Prepare Iron and Stove Trimmings for Nickel 
Plating. — 

1. When first from the "sand," if the casting has 
considerable background or deadwork, place in a pickle of 
one quart sulphuric acid and one quart water, from Y^, to 
to 1 minute (or longer if required), then rinse off at once 
in clear cold water, then put in a hot solution of potash 
or Salicornia Lye, Yi lb. to 1 gallon of water (keep hot), 
rinse off in boiling water and dry at once. 

2. The casting mnst then undergo a thorough 
scratching by sand blast if possible, or by a revolving 
wheel of flat steel wire, until the casting has the appear- 
ance of having been polished with black lead ; then take 
to solid emery wheels and give the flat work a smooth 
surface ; then take a Leather Covered Wood Wheel, 
BuUneck or Walrus Wheel coated with No. 90 Emery 
and rough up; then use same kind of wheel coated with 
No. 120 Emery for fining, then finish or color on canvas 
or felt glaze wheel charged with Patent Kniery Com- 
pound until you have a good finish, all scratches being 
removed: then place in hot potash or Sahcornia Lye solu- 
tion for five minutes (^ lb. to 1 gallon of w^ater); take 
from lye and scour with F or O pumice stone, rinse in 



46 

cold water and dip in a pickle of one quart sulphuric acid, 
12 quarts water, one or two seconds ; thoroughly rinse 
in cold water ; then dip in lime water, which will kill 
any acid that may be left in the pores of the article (if 
the article is very porous) ; then it is necessary to rinse 
in perfectly clean water, by doing which you will avoid 
much trouble and peeled work. The last rinsing water 
should at all times be chemically clean ; then place the 
work in nickel bath to plate. When a sufficient deposit 
has been obtained, take work out of bath and rinse 
thoroughly in cold water, then in hot water, and dry in 
boxwood sawdust as rapidly as possible ; the work is 
then taken to the buffing wheel (unbleached muslin 
wheel is the best) using Patent White Polish, which will 
finish the work much better than anything else; then 
immerse in hot solution of No. 381 Cleaning Compound 
(}^ lb. to one gallon of hot water) ; rinse off in hot 
water and dry in sawdust. 



47 



CHAPTER X. 
NICKEL=PLATINQ. 

Nickel=Plating is one of the most successful and 
extensive branches of electro deposition. Realizing the 
want of a practical treatise on the subject, we take 
pleasure in supplj'ing the following to our patrons, 
knowing it to be practical in every detail, and we may 
say that everything herein embodied has been practically 
demonstrated in our nickel-plating testing room. 

Double Sulphate Solution: — This solution, which 
is almost universally used, is composed of nickel salts 
(sulphate of nickel, sulphate of ammonia and water), and 
is made by dissolving ^^Ib. of nickel salts to one gallon 
of boiling water ; when cold, place it in a wooden tank 
lined with asphaltum or pitch. 

Anodes : — After the solution is in the tank, place in 
the anodes. To insure good plating and to keep the 
solution in good order the anodes should be placed on 
both sides of the work on nickel hooks and suspended 
from a copper or brass tube or rod. Some put anodes only 
on one side of the work but this is not advantageous and 
is poor economy, as will be explained further on. Others 
place anodes crosswise and others again have three rows 
of anodes and two rows of work. 

Connecting Anodes and Work with the 
Dynamo : —The rod or rods upon which the anodes are 
suspended should be connected with the positive pole of 
the dynamo or electric battery by means of a suitable 
copper wire, and the rod to contain the work must be 



48 

connected with the negative pole of the machine or 
battery with a similar wire. 

Having everything ready for work w^e must know% 
before going further, "What takes place in the Nickel 
Solution during electrolysis." Nothing is of greater 
importance to the nickel -plater than to know what is 
going on in his nickel solution, for otherwise if his 
solution gets out of order he will spoil it by adding 
something to it that, had he know^n what takes place in 
the bath, he never would have done. 

During electrolysis both the sulphate of nickel and 
the sulphate of ammonia undergo decomposition, sul- 
phuric acid and ammonia being set free at the anode; this 
sulphuric acid forms an equivalent quantity of sulphate 
of nickel by its action on the anode which it dissolves ; 
free ammonia is liberated, some of which is left to 
accumulate ; this will make the solution decidedly 
alkaline in time ; and the more intense the electric 
current the more rapid the decomposition, hence the more 
ammonia is liberated and the more alkaline the solution 
becomes, and if this current is too intense, the solution 
will become too alkaline, which will more or less 
influence the quality of the work. Accompanying this 
change in the solution, especially vv^ith an irregular or 
too intense current, there is a precipitation of the nickel 
in the form of basic salt, by which the metaUic strength 
of the bath is impaired. This necessitates the addition 
of fresh nickel salts from time to time. Hydrogen and 
nickel is given up at the cathode, the nickel being deposited 
on the work and most of the hydrogen liberated, which 
makes the deposit brittle and strip, especially if the 
nickel is deposited thick. This is owing to the hydrogen 
being taken up by the electro deposited metal. 



49 

Knowing, from what precedes, what occurs in the 
bath during electrol3\sis, we will look into "What is 
necessary for the proper working of the Solution." 

Electric Current. — If this is properl}^ regulated, 
neither too intense nor too weak, and uniformly main- 
tained, namely, a current of moderate intensity (about 
two volts), only just enough ammonia will be liberated to 
combine with the sulphuric acid forming sulphate of 
ammonia, therefore the difficulty of the solution becoming 
alkaline is reduced to a minimum. 

The deposit of nickel on the work should be tena- 
cious and adherent, and a point to be remembered is, 
that the slower the rate of deposition the more adherent 
and tenacious the deposit wall be ; but if the current is 
too weak the deposition will be too slow, and also the 
solution may crystallize on the anodes, whilst on the other 
hand if the current is too intense the deposit is apt to 
burn, that is, the metal deposited will be a dark gray or 
black color, with a rough surface ; hence, to work the 
~ solution properly, a moderately intense and uniform cur- 
rent must be used. 

Anode Surface.— A large anode surface should be 
employed, for nickel is so difficultly soluble that if the 
anode surface is not considerably larger than the objects 
to be deposited upon, the solution will not be kept up 
in strength, for more nickel will be deposited on the 
work than is dissolved by the sulphuric acid, which is 
one of the component parts of the double sulphate 
nickel solution, and the solution will in time contain 
a great deal of sulphate of ammonia and very little 
sulphate of nickel, thereby weakening it in nickel and 
making it acid, owing to too much ammonia being lib- 
erated into the air and free sulphuric acid being left in 



50 

the solution. Another reason for a large anode surface 
is that nickel solutions are feebler conductors of electric- 
ity than either gold, silver or copper. On this account 
it is necessary to employ a stronger depositing solution and 
a larger anode surface to mike up for the want of con- 
ductivity. 

It has been found by practical demonstration that 
even though the tank has the ordinary anodes as close 
as possible on both sides of the work, there was not 
sufficient surface to supply the bath with the proper 
amount of nickel to keep up its metallic strength without 
the frequent addition of nickel salts. This defect has 
been overcome by the use of our 

Patent Corrugated Nickel Anodes: — These anodes, 
on account of their large surface, supply the bath with 
almost as much nickel as is deposited upon the work, and 




Figure 19. 

therefore the metallic strength of the bath is kept up to 
the proper standard without the frequent addition of 
nickel salts. This not only proves a great saving in the 



51 

end, but also prevents the bath becoming saturated with 
sulphate of ammonia, which is one of the principal 
ingredients of double nickel salts. 

Also, as there is less resistance, an electric current of 
low voltage (about 1.3 to 1.5 volts) can be used, and the 
deposition is just as rapid, if not more so, than when a 
higher voltage is used with the ordinary flat anodes. 
Moreover, the great advantage in using a low voltage is 
that the amount of hydrogen given off at the cathode 
is reduced to a minimum, so that it is not taken up by 
the deposit. The amount of ammonia given off at the 
anodes is sufficient to combine with some of the sulphuric 
acid, also given off at the anodes, to form sulphate of 
ammonia, this being sufficient to keep the solution 
properly saturated. There is no excess of ammonia 
given off which would in time make the solution alkaline. 

Owing to the low voltage required, the nickel is not 
precipitated as basic salts, the addition of nickel salts to 
the solution thus being avoided. 

The gases evolved at the anode with the ordinary 
anodes shoot straight across to the cathode, thus affect- 
ing the deposit on the cathode and making same brittle. 
With the Patent Corrugated Nickel Anodes, these gases 
shoot diagonally from the same, strike each other a short 
distance from them, and come to the 'surface before 
reaching the cathode. This is a very important point, 
and helps the deposit materially. 

Difficulties Encountered in Working Nickel 
Solutions, and their Remedies. — 1. The solution may 
become too alkaline, which may be caused by the electric 
current being too intense, or insufficient anode surface. 
The remedy for this is to neutralize the solution, which 
can be done in two ways ; first, by adding sulphuric acid, 



52 

drop by drop, until, after stirring the solution and testing 
with blue litmus paper, the paper turns to a dark purple 
color when dry. This method of neutralizing the solution 
is very good, provided the solution is rich in metal. But 
if the solution is weak in metal, add single salts (Sulphate 
of Nickel), to the solution until it is neutral, testing with 
blue litmus paper as above. This being an acid salt of 
nickel, tends to neutralize the solution, and at the same 
time adds to the metallic strength of same. If, in order 
to obtain this neutral condition, 3'ou should add such a 
quantity of single salts as to make ihe solution too rich 
in metal, it may be reduced to the proper strength by 
adding water. 

2. The solution may become too acid ; in that case 
add ammonia drop by drop, stir and test with litmus 
paper until the solution becomes neutral. If then a 
brown slimy precipitate forms after a short time (which 
can be determined by putting a little of the stirred solu- 
tion in a glass and letting it stand for about half an hour) 
the solution must be filtered, preferably through canton 
flannel. This acidity occurs principally in plating iron 
and steel, for these being so sensitive to acid may hold a 
minute quantity from the pickle which is employed in 
cleaning the work, and w^hen placed in the bath imparts 
this acid to it. This is the reason the work is rinsed in 
lime water after coming out of the pickle, as mentioned 
in chapter on preparing metals. Most nickel platers 
prefer to have their solutions slightly acid, but great care 
must be taken to not get it too much so, because it 
impairs the working qualities of the solutions. 

3. The work may burn ; this, as has been remarked, 
is owing to the current being too intense ; to remedy this 
cut down the current by means of a switchboard. 



53 

4. The deposit may be dark in color instead of almost 
silver-white ; this is caused by the solution being too weak 
in metal. In this case add single nickel salts (which must 
first be dissolved in boiling water and allowed to get cold) 
to the solution to enrich it. If this makes the solution 
acid, neutralize with ammonia, and test with the hy- 
drometer until the solution stands fiom 5 to 8 degrees 
Beaume. This trouble may also be caused by using 
impure anodes or getting potash or some foreign matter 
in the bath, or by its being too alkaline. 

"Pitting" of the Work in Nickel Plating. — 

5. This is a phenomenon, the cause of which, up to 
the present time it has been difficult to determine. 
Many theories have been advanced regarding this, the 
clearest being, that certain gases, developed in nickel 
plating, remain upon the article in the form of small 
bubbles, which prevent the nickel from depositing under 
them, leaving small pin-holes on the work, when the 
deposition is finished; or dirt settling upon the articles 
ma}" likewise produce the same effect. 

This "pitting" occurs principally on steel or iron 
work, sometimes appearing at the top of the article, 
sometimes at the side, and sometimes at the bottom, 
and will at times occur even though the article is cop- 
pered before being nickel plated. 

This happens principally in a nickel solution, which 
is somewhat acid, and is also apt to occur in a solution 
that is weak in metal. The only remedy for this is to 
add single salts (sulphate of nickel) to the solution, at 
first about one pound to every ten gallons of solution. 
Should this not stop the 'pitting" (after, of course, neu- 
tralizing the solution with ammonia, filtering the 
precipitate from the solution, if one forms) then add 



54 

more single salts. This must be continued until the 
"pitting" stops, of course keeping the solution at the 
proper degree Beaume by adding water and keeping it 
neutral if it should get acid by means of ammonia. 

6. The solution may cryvStallize on the bottom or sides 
of the tank or on the anodes, or on all three ; this is 
owing to the solution being too concentrated, the plating 
room being too cold, or a very weak current. Take the 
crystals all out of the tank and from the anodes, dissolve 
them in hot water, put this solution in the tank and 
test with a hj^drometer, and dilute until it shows from 
5 to 8 degrees Beaume, then see that your electric cur- 
rent is all right. 

7. The nickel may precipitate in the form of basic 
salt from too intense current and by the solution becom- 
ing too alkaline. Dissolve the basic salts in boiling 
water, and put back in the tank; then if the solution is 
too alkaline add single salts, jSrst dissolving same. 

8. By using impure salts and anodes (as those con- 
taining copper,) the copper may get in the solution and 
deposit on the work, making it reddish. To determine 
whether there is any copper in the solution, fill a glass 
vessel with the solution and run sulphuretted hydrogen 
gas into it, making the solution first acid with sulphuric 
acid. If a dark brown precipitate forms, copper is in the 
solution, and in that case the whole solution should be 
treated in the same way, then filter and boil until all the 
sulphuretted hydrogen is expelled, and neutralize again 
with ammonia. 

Apparatus for making Sulphuretted Hydrogen 
Gas. — An easy and simple way to make a sulphuretted 
hydrogen apparatus is to take a wide mouth bottle with 
an ordinary cork ; through the cork insert two glass 



tubes, one of which should be funnel shaped at the top 
and should reach within about one half-inch of the bot- 
tom of the bottle ; the other should only reach about one 
half-inch below^ the cork. This latter tube is connected 
to a glass tube by a piece of rubber tubing. The above 
completes a cheap and at the same time practical appa- 
ratus for making sulphuretted hydrogen. 

To make Sulphuretted Hydrogen Gas.- -Place a few 
pieces of sulphide of iron in the bottle ; add water until 
the bottle is about one quarter full ; then pour sulphuric 
acid in the funnel shape tube until chemical action takes 
place in the bottle, care being taken not to have the liquid 
in the bottle reach the short tube ; place the glass tube 
which is at the end of the rubber tubing in the solution 
which is to be tested and the sulphuretted hydrogen gas 
which is generated in the bottle will pass through the 
short tube in the bottle or lubber hose and thence into 
the solution. 

Cleaning the Solution. — After a time the solution 
becomes dirty and the sediment must be got rid of. 
Some let their solution stand, pour off the clear liquid 
and throw away the sediment, which also necessitates 
a certain amount of the solution being thrown away. 
This is a veiy bad way of doing, for according to certain 
laws of liquids the heaviest part of the solution, that is, 
that containing mcst metal, after standing, is at the 
bottom ; hence by throwing that away we throw away 
the most metallic part of the bath, thus weakening 
it. Some do not know this and when they find their 
solution weakened do not know the cause The proper 
way to clean the solution is to take a piece of board and 
scrape the sediment to one side and take it out without 
removing the solution from the tank ; or make a filter 



56 

of Canton flannel or cotton, and filter the solution 
through it, and put back into the tank. Test with 
hydrometer, and if the solution does not stand from 5 to 
8 Beaume, add single nickel salts (sulphate of nickel) 
dissolved in warm water, until you can get the right 
degree, 5 to 8 Beaume. 

Stringing- the Work.— It is important to have the 
wires for supporting the work of a proper gauge. Some 
do not pay any attention to the importance of this. 
Small articles require a very thin wire, while larger ones 
a larger wire; also, owing to the conductivity of the 
metals, the wire should be larger or finer. Copper, brass 
and steel articles will be readily plated if suspended by a 
very fine wire in the solution, whilst lead, Brittania 
metal, pewter and cast iron would not plate so readily if 
suspended from the same wire ; hence, the operator must 
not only be guided by the size of the article, but the 
metal from which it is made, in selecting his stringing 
wire. For small articles and metal of the first class use a 
copper stringing wire 22 to 23 B, & S. gauge, for larger 
articles of the first class and small articles of second 
class use a copper wire 16 to 20 B. & S. gauge. Never 
use an iron wire for stringing work. 

Length of Time to Leave the Work in the Bath.— 
The time for leaving work in the nickel bath depends upon 
the strength of the electric current, condition of the bath, 
conductivity of the metal of which the article is made, 
and the amount of anode surface. Everything being in 
the proper condition, as before explained, copper, brass, 
etc. , should remain in the bath from ten minutes to half 
an hour. A splendid deposit is obtained in 15 minutes. 
Iron, steel, pewter, Brittania metal, etc., from 20 minutes 
to one hour ; this is owing to their inferior conductivity. 



57 

Special work, such as bicycle parts and other articles 
exposed to the atmosphere, should be run from 2 to 3 
hours according to the thickness of deposit desired. See 
chapter XII. for special article on Bicycle Plating. 

A nickel solution should be stirred every night or 
morning, otherwise the heaviest and richest part of the 
solution will be at the bottom, and the work will have 
a heavier deposit on the lower end than at the top, and in 
time the bottom of the anodes will be covered with 
crystals. 

Wash water should at all times be chemically clean. 

Nickel Plating Direct on Zinc. — We furnish this 
solution all ready for plating ; it is used the same as the 
double sulphate solution, except that the work must be 
connected with the electric current before being placed 
in the solution. 

After Plating.— The work should be taken from the 
nickel bath and rinsed in cold water, then boiling water, 
and then dried in hot boxwood sawdust ; then it 
should be polished on an unbleached muslin buff (running 
2500 to oOOO revolutions per minute,) with hard rouge 
or Patent White Polish, after which it should be 
steeped in a hot solution of our 381 or 681 Cleaning 
Compound (^4 lb. to 1 gallon of water) if necessary ; then 
rinsed in cold water, then in hot water, and then dried 
in hot boxwood sawdust, when it is ready for inspection. 

Nickel Hooks. — Heretofore it has been customary 
to use hooks made of copper for suspending Nickel 
Anodes in the bath. This is apt to contaminate the 
solution with copper, as the hooks may dip into the solu- 
tion and the action of the electric current would dissolve 
them. Nickel Hooks should be used, which prevents 
any such possibility. 



58 



CHAPTER XI. 

POLISHINQ BICYCLE WORK. 

In polishing handle bars or other round bent parts 
of a bicycle, endless belts and sheepskin or soft bullneck 
and walrus wheels are used. For cranks and other 
straight or flat parts, hard bullneck or leather covered 
wood wheels are used. 

These are set up first with No. 90 Emery for rough- 
ing, then with No. 120 Emery for fining, and with Flour 
Emery for finishing. After these parts are polished on 
the above, they are greased on felt grease wheels, that is, 
felt wheels set up with flour emery worn smooth and 
then greased or oiled, or a felt wheel of medium hardness 
with our Patent Emery Compound. 

In some cases Patent Piece Printers Ink Buffs can 
be used with the Patent Emery Compound for the 
same purpose, and will give a fine finish. 

In this connection we think it advisable to give 
another method of grinding and polishing iron and steel 
work, which practically has also been found to give 
excellent results. 

First grind or cut down the work on a leather 
covered wood wheel charged with No. 60 or No. 90 Emery, 
and for finishing use a very soft wheel, such as a buff 
leather or walrus, bullneck or felt wheel, charged with 
No. 120 or No. 150 Emery. 

If No. 60 Emery is used for cutting down, set the 

wheel for finishing with No. 120 Emery, but if No. 90 

Pmiery is used for cutting down, set the wheel for finishing 

nth No. 150 Emery. Work the wheel down to a smooth 



59 

surface, then rub or charge the wheel well with bayberry 
tallow, and work down to a smooth surface before using 
it on the work, or use a felt wheel charged with our 
Patent Emery Compound. 

Though we have given two different w^ays of doing 
the work, the first gives the better finish. 

If a very high finish is desired for bicycle parts 
before plating, it is advisable to use the wheel set up 
with a mixture of flour emery and glue, the operation 
of finishing being the same as with the No. 120 or 
No. 150 Emery. 

To prepare the flour emery and glue mixture, make 
the glue only half the usual consistenc}^, then add a 
sufficient quantity of flour emery to make the mass the 
usual consistency of glue, and apply to the wheel with a 
brush when very hot ; let wheel dry hard before using. 
Make but little at a time, as it soon spoils. 

In polishing tubular work, such as handle bars, etc., 
use first the Endless Polishing Belt set in No. 70 to No. 
100 Emery. To finish, use walrus wheels varying in 
width from y^" to 1%" thickness and 3" to 5" diameter. 
Turn the wheel concave enough to let the work slide 
easily in the groove. 

In finishing handle bars, and in fact the whole frame, 
when it is plated, it is much better to polish the tubing 
lengthwise, which is the reason we mention concave 
wheels. Some manufacturers, however, polish them 
crosswise, in which case use flat face wheels. 



60 



CHAPTER XII. 

NICKEL PLATING BICYCLE PARTS. 

Bicyle parts after being polished are taken to the 
plating room. When nickel is deposited direct on iron 
or steel, and exposed to the air, the iron or steel is apt to 
rust through the plating. Therefore it is much better to 
copper- plate all such articles before nickel plating, which 
prevents rusting to a considerable extent and improves 
the finish. 

The articles are first wired or put on racks or 
pieces of wire bent in such a way as to hold them 
securely in the solution. 

They are then immersed in a hot solution of Sali- 
cornia Lye for from 10 to 15 minutes. This will remove 
all the grease or oil. They are then thoroughly rinsed 
in cold water and scoured with fine pumice stone, using a 
plater's brush. They are again rinsed in water and then 
dipped into an acid dip, composed of about one pint of 
muriatic acid to one gallon water, or of one pound oxalic 
acid to one gallon of water. This will remove any oxide 
that may have been formed on the articles. They are 
again rinsed in cold water, then put in hot cyanide of 
potassium dip, again rinsed in clean cold water, and are at 
once placed or suspended in the copper solution and are 
plated from 5 to 20 minutes, according to the thickness of 
the deposit required and the strength of the electric 
current used. When plated in a hot copper solution they 
are only left in from )^ to 1 minute. 

If the copper solution is used cold, and the articles 



61 

have a heavy deposit, they are then rinsed in cold 
water, then phinged in boiling water, then dried in 
boxwood sawdust, and are afterwards removed to the 
buffing room, where they are colored on an unbleached 
muslin buff with Patent White Polish or SSS or SSSS 
rouge, and are then returned to the plating room to be 
nickel- plated. They are again wired up as before, 
placed in the solution of hot Salicornia Lye for a few 
minutes, to remove the dirt and grease from the buffing 
operation, again rinsed in cold water, and are this time 
brushed with whiting, then thoroughly rinsed in water, 
dipped in a weak solution of cyanide of potassium to 
remove any oxidization or tarnish. They are then rinsed 
in cold water and placed at once in the nickel solution. 

When a hot copper solution is used and the articles 
are only slightly coated with copper, they are thoroughly 
rinsed in cold water and then placed immediately in 
the nickel solution, which does away with all the extra 
work of repolishing and recleaning. 

They remain in the nickel solution from one to three 
hours, depending on the thickness of the deposit required. 
They are then removed from the nickel solution, rinsed 
thoroughly in cold water, plunged in boiling water and 
dried in hot boxwood sawdust. They are then taken to 
the buffing room and are finished or colored up on a soft 
buff, usually an unbleached muslin buff, with Patent 
White Polish. 

The above is the most improved method of plating 
bicycle parts, and is used in the largest bicycle factories 
in the United States, and the results obtained have been 
very satisfactory. Great care must be exercised in all 
these operations. 

A low intensity of current, say about i^ to 2 volts, 



63 

should be employed, the solutions should stand from 5 
to 8 Beaume, and as large an anode surface as possible 
should be used in order to obtain a deposit which is white 
in color, malleable, adherent and nonporous. 

A large anode surface is best obtained by using our 
Patent Corrugated Nickel Anodes, (See chapter X. on 
Nickel Plating). 



63 



CHAPTER XIII. 
COPPER PLATING. 

Cleaning theWork. — Same as for nickel (see page 43) 
Setting up the Bath.— Same as for nickel (see page 47) 
Working the Bath. — All good copper plating is 
done with cyanide solutions, with the exception of elec- 
trot3^ping. All articles made of brass, German silver, 
spelter, etc., can be given a good deposit in fifteen 
minutes, whereas articles made of iron and steel should 
be run twenty to thirty minutes, depending upon the 
thickness required. If the work is properly prepared 
and cleaned, a copper solution is very easy to manage 
and does not readily get out of order. 

Finishing the Work. — The work on being taken 
from the solution should be immediately rinsed thoroughly 
in cold water, then in hot water, and then dried in 
hot boxwood sawdust, as in nickel, and then polished 
with SSSS or SSS hard rouge, depending on the finish 
required. 

Caution to be Observed. — When the anodes have a 
greenish scum on them, the solution is not rich enough 
in cyanide, and the scum will retard the passage of the 
current ; therefore, add 2 to 4 ozs. of C. P. cyanide to 
the gallon of solution. Never use fused cyanide, as its 
impurities may injure the solution. The solution inay 
refuse to plate although the anodes have no greenish 
scum ; in that case put on the current and see if the 
solution boils vigorously around the work (there will, 
however, always be a slight boiling, even if the solution 
is all right); if it does boil vigorously, there is too 



64 

much cyanide in the solution, and it dissolves the 
metal as soon as deposited and prevents plating. In 
this case add metal to the solution, which can be done 
by the addition of Carbonate of Copper (boil the solu- 
tion after adding) or by hanging an Iron Cathode in 
the solution and letting it work with the full current 
for a couple of hours, using the regular anodes. Then 
try to plate. If it plates properly there is then 
enough metal in the solution. If the solution works 
slowly, as it will after a time when it gets too rich in 
metal, add 2 to 4 ozs. of C. P. Cyanide per gallon. A 
blue colored solution will never plate good--it has not 
enough cyanide. The color of a solution, to do good 
work, should be a light yellowish, resembling old ale. 



(J5 



CHAPTER XIV. 
BRONZE PLATING. 

It is difficult to obtain a bronze solution that will 
work cold and which is always reliable. As different 
shades of bronze plating is often desired, the solution 
should be made in two parts, one red, the other white, 
thereby criving the plater a chance to regulate the 
solution according to the color of bronze desired, which is 
accomplished as follows : Take all the red solution 
(which call. No. 1). place it in the tank; add, say one- 
quarter of the white solution (which call No 2); stir 
them, place in the anodes, and plate. Keep adding the 
white solution until the desired shade of plating is 
obtained. It must be understood that the white solution 
mentioned here is much different to the white solution 
mentioned under the head of Brass Plating, and one 
must not be used in place of the other. 

Cleaning the Work.— Same as for nickel, extreme 
care being requisite with iron and steel that all the 
scale, rust and plumbago of the facing of the moulds in 
cast iron is removed, and the surface to be plated is 
uniformly clean. Great caution is necessar}^ wath regard 
to this, otherwise the plating will be redder in color in 
places not clean than in the clean places. To get proper 
colored plating the electric current neces.^ary to use is 
from 4 to 8 volts, depending upon the kind of metal that 
is being plated, but should you not then obtain the de- 
sired results, add either some of the white or red solution, 
as the case may require, to the main solution until you 
btain the correct color. The proper regulation of the 



66 

solntion and the electric current is of ' the utmost 
importance, without which bronze plating cannot be 
successfully accomplished. 

Working the Solution.— Place the work in the 
bath, switch on the electric current, watch if the 
color is satisfactory, and after properly regulating the 
current, let it plate on said current for the length of 
time required ; then, before removing any of the work 
from the bath, cut off the current; otherwise, by taking 
some of the work out, and before you get out the rest, 
those taken out last will be of a lighter color, being 
subjected to a more intense current. This is absolutely 
important. 

Caution to be Observed.— The anodes may have a 
greenish scum; in that case do the same as in copper 
plating (see page 63) ; also, if the solution works slow. 
The proper color for a bronze solution is a straw color ; 
otherwise it will never be a good working solution. 
The anodes should be a pure bronze, and exactly the 
shade of the plating required, or the solution will, after 
a time, plate the color of the metal of the anode, as that 
is the metal which feeds the solution. If the solution 
plates two or three different colors on the same piece of 
work, at the same time, the work being chemically 
clean and the current of the proper intensity, the 
solution is useless and should be (discarded. 

Finishing the Work. — Finish on an unbleached 
muslin wheel running 2200 to 2500 revolutions, using 
Hard Rouge SSSS or SSS. Wash dirt out of filagree 
work with 681 cleaning compound (^ pound to 1 gallon 
hot water). 



67 

CHAPTER XV. 
BRASS PLATING. 

No solution is so troublesome to manage as brass. 
As different shades of brass plating is often desired, 
the solution should be made in two parts, one red 
and the other white, thereby giving the plater a chance 
to regulate the solution according to the color of brass 
desired, which is accomplished as follows : Take all 
the red solution (No. 1), place it in the tank ; add about 
one-quarter of the white solution (No. 2); stir them and 
place the anodes in the solution, and then plate. Keep 
adding the white solution until the desired shade of 
plating is obtained. 

Cleaning the Work.— (See Bronze), page 65. 

Proper Colored Plating. — (See Bronze), page 65. 

Working the Solution.— Brass, iron, steel, spelter, 
etc., cannot be plated at the same time in the same bath, 
for an alloy of copper and zinc must be deposited at the 
same time, and copper being of different resistance from 
zinc, will deposit on the easiest metal and carry the zinc 
with it, so that if copper and iron are the two metals in 
the bath, the copper will get all the plating and the iron 
none. Wrought and cast iron act the same ; also zinc 
and iron and any dissimilar metals. When iron screws, 
buckles, or other small articles are to be plated in a 
basket, it is best to have the basket of the same 
metal as the articles. In plating iron articles in a 
brass bath, it sometimes happens that they will show 
(after plating, say 20 minutes) reddish streaks, in which 



68 ■ 

case the article must be removed from the bath, rinsed in 
hot water, dried in sawdust, scratch-brushed, replaced in 
the bath and left for about 5 to 10 minutes longer, when 
the color should be beautiful and uniform, and without 
streaks. This is very important. Should vSome parts of 
the work be of a redder color than other parts, the red 
parts are not clean and must be made so, because copper, 
being so much easier to deposit than zinc, will deposit on 
even a slightly dirty surface, and the zinc will not ; hence 
you get the reddish color. 

Some claim that after a short time the solution will 
plate a redder color than at first, owing to the zinc 
oxide which forms on the anodes not being dissolved by 
the cyanide and other ingredients of the solution, and 
recommend chemicals, such as arsenic, etc., as a remedy. 
We may here say, if the solution is properly made and 
pure brass anodes are used, the plating will remain the 
same color as long as the solution lasts. Scouring with 
sea sand after plating does a great deal of good in making 
the plating bright. It is, however, often found advan- 
tageous to suspend a small copper tube from the cathode 
rod into the solution while there is no work in the bath 
and if the electric current is on, for by doing so it will 
help to keep the zinc oxide from forming on the anodes. 

If a solution plates reddish, greenish, brassy and 
whitish at the same time, on the same piece of work, the 
solution is useless. 

Never try to "doctor" a solution, for the more you 
add to it the more complicated you get it and the worse 
it will work. 

Some platers copper their articles before brassing. 
This is a good plan, but of course adds to the cost and 
is not essential. 



69 

Example No. 1 — 

If you have a copper article to brass plate, size 
about 1" X 2", proceed as follows : 

String on a No. 23 copper wire (for a larger piece of 
work a heavier wire — see Nickel), then dip in hot potash 
or Salicornia lye solution for a minute, rubbing with 
the potash brush ; then rinse in hot water, then in cold 
water, then dip for an instant in cold cyanide of po- 
tassium solution, then in hot water, then in cold water, 
and immediately, without letting the article touch any- 
thing or handling it, place in the bath and turn on the 
electric current, and after properly regulating the same, 
let plate. After being in from 10 to 20 minutes, cut off 
the current, take out the work, rinse in cold water, then in 
hot water, and then place in hot boxwood sawdust. 
When dry, finish or polish with SS or SSS Rouge on 
unbleached muslin buff (see Polishing), and then dip in 
681 cleaning compound solution, then in hot water, and 
then dry in sawdust as above, and lacquer. 

Example No. 2 — 

If you have a cast iron article to brass plate, size 
about 2"x3", proceed as follows : 

String as in example No. 1, then place in a pickle 
composed of sulphuric acid, 4 ozs. to 1 gallon of cold 
water, leave in for }4 hour ; this will loosen all scale 
and rust ; then rinse in cold water, then scour with 
pumice and rinse in cold water, place in the solution 
and plate as before, only leaving in from 15 to 25 minutes, 
and finish as in example No. 1. 

Example No. 3. — 

For articles less than r'x2", and which it is not 



70 

economical to plate by stringing. These must be plated 
in a wire basket of same metal as articles to be plated, 
after first cleaning properly, or tumbled in a tumbling 
barrel. Finish as in example No. 1. 



' 71 

CHAPTER XVI. 

SILVER PLATING. 

Providing the solution is made properly, silver is the 
easiest of all metals to deposit. We have found by 
experience that the best silver solutions are made with 
cyanide of potassium and chloride of silver, but both of 
these must be chemically pure. In silver plating a large 
anode surface is not necessary, as good plating can be 
done with almost any size within reason. Always take 
anodes out of solution when not in use, otherwise the 
action of the cyanide in the solution will dissolve them 
even though the electric current is not on, thereb}^ 
making the solution too rich in metal. 

Cleaning the Work. — Same as for nickel plating. 
Before plating such metals as brass, copper, Brittania, 
etc. , it is best to use what is called in the trade a blue dip, 
which is composed of ^ oz. of bi-chloride of mercury, 
(> ozs. of muriate of ammonia (sal-ammoniac) and two 
gallons of water, and which is used as follows : After 
cleaning the article as described under nickel plating, 
immerse it in the blue dip, linse in clean water, and then 
place in the silver solution. 

Striking Solution. — For such articles as steel knives, 
forks, etc., a "striking solution" should be used. A 
striking solution is rich in cyanide and poor in silver, 
about 10 or 12 ozs. of cyanide and }4 oz. silver chlo- 
ride to the gallon. A strong electric current should be 
employed and a large silver anode used. After cleaning 
the work as in nickel plating, immerse it in a weak muriatic 
acid dip, composed of 1 oz. of muriatic acid to a gallon of 



72 

water, then rinse in clean cold water and put it in the 
"striking solution," where it is left for about one minute, 
after which it is at once placed in the regular silver solu- 
tion, where it remains until the desired thickness of 
deposit is obtained. 

The above method is the best and most economical 
where the work is done in a large way, but it is not 
absolutely necessary in a small plant. The electric cur- 
rent employed for the regular silver solution should be 
from % to 1 >^ volts. The current should be on while 
the articles are being placed in the solution and should 
be regulated by a switchboard, so as to increase the 
intensity as more articles are put in. 

The amount of silver deposited can be determined 
by weight. The thickness of an ordinary piece of writing 
paper corresponds to from \}{ to l}4 ozs. of silver to the 
square foot of surface, and is considered a very good 
coating. A good silvering solution should deposit silver 
by simple immersion, but vxry slightly, otherwise the 
solution has too much free cyanide and the plating is 
apt to peel or rub off. Should the solution, on the other 
hand, plate too slowly, it is too rich in metal and has not 
enough cyanide. It is best to copper iron and zinc work 
before silvering. 

In a great many of the largest silver plating estab- 
lishments in the country, the- following method is used 
on steel knives, forks, etc., for striking: A solution 
rich in cyanide and weak in metal, (about i^ lbs. of 
cyanide and from ^ to i oz. chloride of silver to the 
gallon,) is used, into which is placed small silver and 
large copper anodes, the propotionate size being about 
four to one, and a strong electric current is employed. 

Finishing Silver Plated Articles. — After the articles 



73 

have received a sufficient deposit, they should be removed 
from the rod one at a time, swilled for a moment in the 
plating solution, allowed to drain, rinsed well in clean 
hot water and dried in clean hot boxwood sawdust. If 
they should be yellow or spotty after drying, the cause 
may be traced to imperfect rinsing or to the use of dirty 
sawdust. After they are dry, they should be scratch- 
brushed until the white *'burr" or *'matt" is worked 
down, the scratch-brush being kept wet all the time with 
stale beer. After scratch-brushing, they are rinsed in 
clean water, again dried in sawdust, and are ready for 
the finishing process. Then they should be colored or 
finished on a Canton flannel buff, using hard rouge, 
SS, S or SXXXX, depending on the fineness of finish 
desired. 

Burnishin^r. — Such articles as spoons, forks, trays 
and other plated table ware are burnished to give them a 
very highly polished mirror-like surface. Burnishing is 
done by means of polivShed steel tools or tools faced with 
agate or bloodstone, which are pressed on the surface of 
the plated article and rubbed to and fro until tjie desired 
polish is obtained. After being scratch-brushed and 
dried in sawdust, the articles are prepared for burnishing 
by scouring the surface with very fine silver sand, which 
is applied on a soft flannel pad dipped in warm, soapy 
water. Then the articles are rinsed in hot water 
and dried, when they are ready to be burnished. There 
are numerous shapes of burnishers suitable for different 
classes of work, the first rough burnishing being often 
done by instruments with comparatively sharp edges, 
while the finishing operations are accomplished with 
rounded ones. The manner of using them has to be 
acquin d by practice, but we may say that they are held 



74 

in the right hand with the handle resting on the back of 
the little finger near the first knuckle, the next three 
fingers on the upper part of the handle and the thumb on 
the top to apply pressure. In burnishing, the strokes 
must all be in one direction, and each succeeding stroke 
should overlap its predecessor. The tool should be held 
in a slanting direction on the article and only a moderate 
pressure applied. It is necessary to have near by a vessel 
containing soapy water into which the burnished article 
must be dipped from time to time, for it must be kept 
well lubricated with soap-suds, or it will heat and strip 
the plating off the article. Thin deposits of silver will 
not stand much, if any, burnishing. 



75 

CHAPTER XVII. 
GOLD PLATING. 

Gold is a metal that is very easily deposited and 
there is no other capable of such a variety in the color of 
its deposit. Solutions and anodes can be bought ready 
for use to plate any color from a pure gold to a red gold. 
They are run both hot and cold, depending upon the 
class of work. The anodes should always be kept out 
of the solution when not in use, otherwise they will be 
dissolved by the cyanide in the solution and make it too 
rich in metal. Should the solution deposit too slowly, 
C. P. cyanide of potassium should be added, about 
^ to 1 oz. to the gallon. 

Too much gold in the solution makes the deposit 
black or dark red, and when too much cyanide is in the 
solution the deposit will be grayish, and often pieces 
already gilded lose their deposit. 

When the solution is run hot, enamelled iron vessels 
should be used, but when run cold, glass or porcelain jars 
can likewise be used. 

An electric current of about 1 ^ to 2 volts should be 
used for gold plating. 

Cleaning the Work. — Same as for nickel plating. 

Finishing Gold Plated Articles. — Same as for silver 
plating. 



76 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
TIN PLATING. 

As most articles are tinned by the molten process, 
very little attention has been given to the electro- 
deposition of tin, although this metal can be easily 
deposited electrically. 

Tin solutions should not be used at a temperature 
below 68 degrees Fahrenheit and they require an electric 
current of about 2 to 3 volts. Too strong a current 
causes a pulverulent reduction of the tin. Pure cast tin 
anodes with as large a surface as possible should be used. 
As tin solutions do not dissolve the anodes in proportion 
to the amount of metallic tin drawn from the bath, no 
matter how large the anodes surface, it is necessary to 
add from time to time small quantities of tin salts or 
some concentrated tin solution. This is best done by 
having suspends d over the tank a small vessel containing 
a concentrated solution of tin, which is allowed to run 
drop by drop into the tank below. By this means the 
regular plating solution is kept rich and constant in 
metal In some cases it is a good plan to first plate iron 
and steel objects with copper, and after scratch-brushing 
the copper deposit, place in the tin solution. 

The work is cleaned the same as for nickel plating. 
For heavy deposits of tin the objects are frequently taken 
from the bath, and the deposit is thoroughly brushed 
with a brass wire scratch-brush, rinsed in water, and 
returned to the bath. 

When the tinning is finished, the articles are brushed 
with a brass wire scratch-brush, then dried in hot box- 
wood sawdust and polished with fine whiting. 



77 

CHAPTER XIX. 
(jALVANOPLASTY. 

Electrotyping and Galvanoplasty are very similar 
branches of the Art of Electro-Deposition ; in fact, the 
former-is a stepping stone to the latter. .As electrotyping 
proper does not, strictly speaking, come under the 
heading of electro-plating, we will only treat on it in so 
far as it is connected with galvanoplasty. 

Galvanoplasty consists of reproducing, in copper, 
various articles of a non-conducting material in an electro- 
typing solution, or of copper plating in the electrotyping 
solution the articles themselves, such as leaves, shells, 
fish, flowers, insects, etc. Small articles are afterwards 
generally plated with gold or silver, thus forming 
beautiful objects for ornament. 

The Process is as follows. — Free the articles from 
all dust, grease and dirt, and then apply a slight coat of 
Diamond Dip Lacquer with a camel's hair brush. Be 
careful not to miss any of the ornamental depths, parts 
or corners. Wait about 1 minute, when the lacquer will 
have become half-dry, (pasty or sticky). Then apply 
graphite with another camel's hair brush by drawing the 
graphite loosely over the article. Pound slightly in the 
deep places and corners, then rub easy until a dark gray 
lustre is obtained. . Brush all the loose graphite off, 
being careful to leave none loose in the deep places and 
corners. Then wrap loosely with thin copper wire, being 
careful that the wire will not slide over the article ; if it 
should do so, rub over with graphite. Rinse well in cold 
water until all loose graphite is removed, then immerse 
in the electrotyping solution. The article should be 



78 

coated in about 20 to 30 minutes ; if not, the article is 
not well covered with graphite. In this case the article 
must be washed in cold water, well dried, lacquered, 
covered with graphite and put in the solution again. 

An Electrotyping Solution.— To make an Electro- 
typing or Acid Copper Solution, dissolve about 1^ to 2 
lbs. of sulphate of copper to each gallon of water. After 
the sulphate of copper is all dissolved, the solution should 
show about 16 degrees Baume Hydrometer, then add 
sulphuric acid until it shows about 19 degrees Baume. 
It is important to test the solution from time to time, to 
see that it shows about this density, and in case it does 
not, add more sulphate of copper or sulphuric acid. 

On the other hand great care must be exercised that 
the solution does not become too acid or dense, as dark 
red streaks will show on the back of the shell. The 
temperature of the solution should always be kept as near 
60 degrees Fahrenheit as possible. Pure copper anodes 
should be used and an electric current of about 1% X.o 
2 volts employed. 

When articles that have gone through the galvano- 
plastic process are to be plated with other metals, they 
are cleaned and prepared like any other metal articles, 
as described in previous chapters. 



79 



CHAPTER XX. 

DIPS. 

Dips are used for oxydizing silver, brass, etc., also 
for imparting different colors to metals. 

Bright Acid Dip. — Composed of oil of vitriol and 
nitric acid, half-and-half. The work is first dipped in 
this, then immediately into water, then again into the 
acid dip, then again into water, continuing this process 
until the brass is perfectly bright and clean, ending the 
operation with the water. It must then be thoroughly 
rinsed in clean water and dried in boxwood sawdust. 

Silver Oxydizing Dip. — Dissolve about % to y2 lb. 
of sulphurette of potassium in one gallon of water and 
use at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. First scratch-brush 
the article, then immerse in the dip, rinse in water, and 
again scratch-brush while still wet If the article is not 
black enough, repeat the process until the desired effect 
is obtained, then rinse in hot water, dry in boxwood 
sawdust and lacquer. 

Black Brass Dip — Dissolve y^ lb plastic carbonate 
of copper in one gallon wat«r..^The work, after being 
properly cleaned, is immersed in this dip, which should 
be kept at about 150 degrees Fahrenheit, then rinsed in 
water. This process is continued until the brass is black 
or of the desired color. The operation should end with 
the water, and the article immediately dried in boxwood 
sawdust. 

Antique Dip. — Dissolve about % to % lb. of 
sulphurette of potassium in one gallon of water. The 
operation is the same as with black brass dip, with the 
exception that the dip is run cold. 



80 

Ormulo Dip. — This is a dip composed of 1 gallon 

aquafortis and Y^ gallon sulphuric acid ; 2 5^ lbs sulphate 
of zinc, yi, lb. sulphate of copper, ^ oz. sulphur, }{ oz. 
white arsenic. Let this boil for ten hours ; use while 
boiling and rinse In hot potash water. Run through the 
bright-acid dip. The dip should stand at about 50 
degrees Beaume. 

Gold Dip. — This gives a beautiful yellow gold color 
to bright-acid dipped brass and brass plated articles. It 
is made as follows; dissolve 5 dwts. of gold chloride in 
water, precipitate with ammonia, thoroughly wash the 
precipitate and add it to one gallon water, 2 lbs. yellow 
prussiate of potash and 2 lbs. sal soda. Boil all together 
and use at about 150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. After 
the work is dipped in this and becomes gold plated, it 
should be rinsed in water and dried in hot boxwood 
sawdust. Parts wanted bright should be burnished. 

Bi=Chloride of Platinum Dip. — This is made by 
dissolving about one ounce of bi-chloride of platinum in 
one gallon of water and is used for producing a black or 
steel grey coloration on solid silver and silver plated ware. 

Silver Dip. — This gives a light silver deposit to 
small articles of brass, copper, etc. It is made as follows: 
one gallon water, ^ lb. C. P. cyanide of potassium, ^ to 
one oz. chloride of silver. It is used by simply dipping 
the articles in it, after they are first thoroughly cleaned 
or bright-acid dipped. 



81 



CHAPTER XXI. 
LACQUERING. 

Lacquers are used to prevent articles from tarnishing 
or oxidizing, and likewise for imparting different colors 
to metals. They are used especially on brass, copper, 
bronze, silver and all tarnishable metals. They should 
leave a transparent, clear, bright film, hard and 
flexible, which cannot be scratched by the finger nail. 
Colored lacquers are used where a certain color is wanted 
on the goods. They protect the work the same as the 
transparent lacquers. 

Articles are lacquered by either dipping them in the 
lacquer or by applying the lacquer to them by means of 
a camel's hair brush. The work should be perfectly dry 
and free from grease and dirt of any kind. In the 
dipping process, the work is immersed in the lacquer, 
taken out, allowed to drain and hung up to dry. 
Any number of coats may be put on by simply dipping 
the articles the required number of times, taking care 
that each coat is dry before another is applied. In the 
brushing process, care must be taken not to have the 
lacquer too thin, as in that event it will produce irrides- 
cent colors on the work ; to remedy this, give the work 
an extra coat. 

Lacquers, when not in use, should always be kept 
covered, otherwise they will congeal and must be brought 
back to their proper consistency by adding a reducer or 
thinner. 



82 



CHAPTER XXII. 

CHE/VIICALS USED IN PLATING ROOM. 

The principal acids used in electro-plating are Sul- 
phuric Acid, (Oil of Vitriol,) Nitric Acid. Muriatic Acid 
and Aqua Fortis. 

Sulphuric Acid. — Is a thick, oily fluid. If pure it is 
white, but is usually brownish from organic matter. It 
should stand at 66 degrees Beaume with the hydrometer. 
In diluting this acid with water, it should in every case 
be added to the water, and not the water to it, otherwise 
an explosion might occur from the mixture of the two. 
This acid is used for pickling and stripping. 

Nitric Acid and Aqua Fortis. — 36 to 40 degrees should 
be used. It should be white, but sometimes is more or 
less yellow. It is used for pickling, stripping and 
dipping, and is sometimes mixed with sulphuric acid 
for this purpose. It is also used in the Bunsen and Smee 
cells. The yellow fumes given off by this acid when 
dissolving metals should not be inhaled, as they are 
poisonous. 

Muriatic Acid. — When pure it is colorless, but 
usually is of a yellow color from the presence of iron. It 
should stand at about 18 degrees Beaume. It is generally 
used for pickling iron. 

Citric Acid. Colorless crystals, which dissolve wdth 
great ease in both hot and cold water. It is only used for 
acidulating nickel baths and in the preparation of platinum 
baths. 

Boracic Acid. — This is in the shape of scales or 
crystals ; dissolves with difficulty in cold water ; more 



S3 

rapidly soluble in boiling water. It is sometimes used 
in the nickel bath. 

Arsenious Acid or White Arsenic. — This is in the 
form of a white powder, slightly soluble in cold water 
and more readily soluble in hot water and hydrochloric 
acid. It is generally used in brass solutions and 
for oxidizing copper alloys. 

Bichromate of Potash. — This is in the form of 
orange red crystals and is soluble in water, forming an 
orange colored liquid, and is used in the bichromate 
battery. 

Caustic Potash or Potassium Hydrate. -This is 
usually found in commerce, in various degrees ot purity, 
either in sticks or lumps. It is delequescent, dissolves 
readily in water and alcohol. The pure potash is generally 
used as an addition to zinc and gold baths The 
commercial article is used for removing grease and dirt 
from obiects to be plated. 

Caustic Soda. — It occurs in commerce in sticks and 
lumps. It is used for removing grease and dirt from 
objects that are to be plated. 

Ammonia Hydrate and Ammonia. — This is water 
saturated with ammonia gas. It must be stored in closely 
stoppered bottles, so that this gas is not evolved. 20 
degree ammonia is usually emplo3^ed. It is used for 
neutralizing nickel solutions when they are too acid, and 
also used in copper and brass baths. It is recognized 
by its odor. 

Potassium Sulphurett, Liver Sulphur, Sulphide of 
Potassium. — This is a hard, liver-colored mass, becoming 
green when exposed to the air. It readily absorbs moisture 
and is acted upon by the light, which spoils it. It is 



84 

employed for making oxidizing dips for copper, silver, 
bronze, etc. 

Ammonium Sulphide, Sulphurett of Ammonia, 
Hydro Sulphide of Ammonia. — When freshly prepared 
it is a clear, colorless liquid, with the odor of ammonia and 
sulphuretted hydrogen. It becomes yellow by standi-ng 
but does not spoil, and is used for the same purpose as 
sulphurett of potassium. 

Carbon Di=SuIphide or Bi=Sulphide- — This is a 
colorless, transparent liquid, with a very disagreeable odor. 
It is very volatile and explosive and is used in a bright 
silver plating solution. 

Ferric Sulphide is a hard, black mass, used for 
making sulphuretted hydrogen gas. 

Ammonia Chloride, Salamoniac. — A white sub- 
stance in the shape of fibrous crystals. It is soluble in 
about 2^ parts cold and a much smaller quantity of hot 
water. It is used for silvering and tinning and is a 
conducting salt in many solutions. 

Copper Chloride. — Blue-green crystals, readily solu- 
ble in cold water. It is employed in copper and brass 
solutions. 

Tin Chloride, Tin Salts or Tin Crystals.— White 
crystalline salts, readily soluble in water, the solution 
becoming turbid in the air. It is used in making brass, 
bronze and tin solutions 

Zinc Chloride or Muriate of Zinc or Butter of 
Zinc. — A white crystalline or confused mass, very soluble 
in water and deliquescent in the air. It is used in making 
brass and zinc baths, silvering, etc. 

Nickel Chloride. — This is in the form of a green or 



85 

yellowish mass and is used in the preparation of nickel 
solution. 

Silver Chloride (Horn Silver). — A heavy white 
powder which is acted upon by the light, gradually 
passing from purple to black. It is insoluble in water, 
but dissolves readily in potassium cyanide solution. It 
is the principal salt employed in making silver plating 
solutions and is also used in a paste for silvering by 
friction. 

Gold Chloride (Chloride of Gold, Muriate of Gold, 
Auric Chloride). — This is in the form of crystals, yellow 
in color or a reddish-brown crystalline mass ; it absorbs 
moisture from the air, becoming a gold colored liquid. 
It is used principally for making gold solutions. 

Platinum Chloride. (Bichloride of Platinum). — In 
the form of a red-brown mass ; very soluble and becomes 
wet by absorbing moisture from the air when exposed to 
same. It is used principally for oxidizing silver, brass, 
etc , and in making platinum solutions for platinum 
plating. 

Potassium Cyanide or Cyanide of Potassium. — 
This is one of the most important chemicals used in 
electro-plating It is made at the present day as near 
chem-cally pu^e as possible, running as high as 98 to 99 
per cent. pure. There are also cyanides of 30^, 50%, 60% 
and 80^. These latter are principally used for cleaning 
work before plating. The chemically pure cyanide of 
potassium is used principally in the preparation of copper, 
brass, silver and gold baths. The pure cyanide of 
potassium is a white, translucent crystalline mass like 
lump sugar, the crystalline structure being plainly visible 
upon fracture. When perfectly dry it is odorless, but 



when absorbing moisture it has a strong smell of prussic 
acid. It is very readily soluble in cold water ; when 
dissolved in hot water it is partially decomposed, which 
is recognized by the odor of ammonia. It is a deadly 
poison and great care should be exercised in its use. 
Fused cyanide of potassium, or the lower percentages, 
which are called commercial, is a white, opaque substance, 
crystalline upon fracture, absorbing moisture from the 
air same as the chemically pure. The principal impurity 
of cyanide of potassium is carbonate of potash ; it is 
readily detected by dilute muriatic acid, when, if the salt 
is impure, it will effervesce. 

Copper Cyanide. — This is a greenish-brown powder 
used for making electro-plating solutions of copper, brass 
and red gold. 

Zinc Cyanide. — A white powder, insoluble in water; 
soluble in potassium cyanide, ammonia and alkaline 
sulphites ; it is used principally in the preparation of 
brass baths. 

Silver Cyanide. — A white powder, becoming black 
when exposed to the light ; employed principally in the 
preparation of silver baths. 

Sodium Carbonate. (Sal soda). — It occurs in com- 
merce in large colorless crystals ; on exposure to the air 
effloresces and crumbles to a white powder ; dissolves 
readily in water ; is used principally in copper and brass 
baths, and for cleaning articles. 

Sodium Bicarbonate. — A white powder, soluble in 
water ; used for similar purposes as the sal soda above. 

Copper Carbonate. — A blue substance, insoluble in 
water ; soluble with effervescence in acids ; also in cyanide 
of potassium ; employed principally in making copper, 



87 



brass, bronze and gold baths, also for removing an excess 
of acid in sulphate of copper solutions (electrotyper's). 
It is best used in plastic form for solutions as it thereby 
dissolves more readily in a cyanide of potassium solution. 
Zinc Carbonate.— A white substance, insoluble in 
water, but soluble in acids with effervescence and also 
soluble in cyanide of potassium solutions ; it is employed 
in the preparation of brass baths ; it is best used in 
plastic form. 

Nickel Carbonate. — A pale blue-green substance, 
insoluble in water and soluble with effervescence in acids; 
it is principally employed in nickel baths to neutralize 
same which has become acid and increases the metallic 
strength at the same time. By the addition of ammonia, 
a greenish precipitate is formed, which, with an excess of 
ammonia, is redissolved, forming a beautiful blue color ; 
it is best used in plastic form. 

Ammonium Sulphate.— This is a colorless, neutral 
salt, does not effloresce in the air; readily soluble in 
water ; it is used principally as a conducting salt for 
nickel and zinc solutions. 

• Iron Sulphate or Copperas.— Blue green transparent 
crystals ; readily dissolved in hot water ; oxydizes in the 
air; employed principally for the preparation of iron 
baths and for reducing gold from its solution. 

Iron Ammonium Sulphate.— Used for the same 
purpose as copperas. 

Copper Sulphate or Blue Vitriol.— Beautiful blue 
crystals, soluble in cold water ; more readily soluble in 
hot water ; used principally in the preparation of copper 
and brass baths and electrotyper's copper solution. 



Zinc Sulphate. (White Vitriol). — Small colorless 
crystals readily oxydized in the air ; are soluble in both 
cold and hot water ; used principally in the preparation 
of brass and zinc baths. 

Nickel Sulphate. — Beautiful dark-green crystals; 
soluble in water, forming a green solution ; used princi- 
pally in the preparation of nickel baths. 

Nickel Ammonia Sulphate.— Green crystals ; dis- 
solving slightly in cold water and readily in hot water. 
Is the principal salt of nickel employed in nickel plating. 

Sodium Bisulphite.— Small crystals used principally 
in the preparation of copper and brass baths. 

Sodium Hyposulphite.— Transparent white crystals 
used principally in brass and gold baths. 

Mercuric Nitrate. — Small colorless crystals, trans- 
parent ; it is employed for amalgamating the zincs in 
electric batteries. 

Silver Nitrate Crystals. — Is thin transparent 
cr3'stals; dissolves readily in water ; used principally for 
making silver solutions. 

Pyrophosphate of Soda. — White crystals which do 
not effloresce ; not readily soluble in cold water; soluble in 
hot water ; it is used in the preparation of gold and tin 
baths. 

Potassium Bitartrate. (Cream of tartar). — Small 
transparent crystals, soluble in water ; employed in 
silvering paste and also in tin baths. 

Copper Acetate. (Verdigris). — Green crystals, 
usually sold commercially in the form of pale green 
powder ; dissolve with difficulty in water ; readily soluble 
in ammonia, forming a beautiful blue liquid ; also soluble 
in cyanide of potassium and alkaline sulphites ; it is used 



89 

in the preparation of copper and brass baths and for 
coloring, gilding, etc. 

Lead Acetate. (Suo;-ar of lead). — Colorless crystals; 
poisonous ; readily soluble in water ; employed in the 
preparation of lead baths and for coloring copper and 
brass. 

Cleaning Compound, 381. — This is a light yellowish 
hard mass, partly soluble in cold water, soluble in hot 
water, and is used for cleaning rouge, composition, etc., 
from iron and steel articles and large brass work after 
plating and buffing. It is also used before plating. 

Cleaning Compound, 681. — This is a dark brown 
soft mass, partly soluble in cold water, soluble in hot 
water, having the odor of ammonia. It is used for the 
same purpose as the 381 Cleaning Compound, except 
that it is used on small brass work, Britannia metal, 
silver, gold, nickel-plated articles, etc. 

Salicornia Lye. — This is a white granular powder ; 
absorbs moisture from the air and is used for cleaning 
grease and dirt from metals before plating, taking the 
place of potash or soda. 



90 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
ARTICLES USED IN POLISHING ROOM. 

Tripoli Composition. — This is in brick form of a light 
yellowish color. It is used principally for ''cutting 
down" or polishing all metals except iron and steel. 

Crocus Composition. — This is both in brick and 
padded form, of a dark chocolate brown color It is 
used principally for "cutting down" or polishing all 
metals and sometimes for "coloring" or buffing iron, 
steel and nickel plated iron or steel where a very high 
finish is not desired. 

Emery Cake. — This is in brick form, of a black or 
dark grey color, and is made in different grades of fineness. 
It is used principally for "roughing up" or polishing 
articles of iron or steel and very rough brass. 

Emery Paste. — This is a black or dark grey mass 
put up in cartridge form and is used for the same purpose 
as emery cake. 

Patent Emery Compound. — This is in brick form, 
of a black or dark grey color, with a yellow coating. It 
is principally used for making a grease wheel instead of 
the old method. This is done by simply applying the 
stick to the wheel, either felt or leather, while it is 
revolving on the lathe,^ and after a sufficient quantity has 
adhered, smooth same down with a flat stone. It is also 
used on canvas, sheepskin or muslin buffs for "cutting 
down" or polishing stove and other cast iron and steel 
work, also sheet brass and tubes. 

Sand Buffing Composition. — This is in brick form. 



91 

of a light grey color. It is used principally on tampico 
wheel brushes for buffing sheet brass. 

Patent Black Composition. — This is in brick form, 
of a jet black color. It is principally used for polishing 
horn and hard rubber, but is excellent for quick cutting 
down brass. 

Snovvflake Polish. — This is in brick form, of a 
whitish color. It is used for "coloring" or buffing nickel 
plated work, also brass, copper and aluminum. 

Patent White Polish. — This is in brick form, and 
is of a pure white color with a yellowish coating. It is 
used principally for buffing nickel plated work, to which 
it imparts a superior lustre. It is also excellent for 
coloring brass, copper, bronze, etc. 

Rouge. — This is in stick and powdered form, of a 
bright red color. It is used for "coloring" or buffing all 
metals. There are various grades of this article, the 
grade to be used depending upon the metal which it is 
intended to buff. 

"Oxytin" or Putty Powder. — This is a light yellow 
or white powder. It is used principally for polishing 
marble, granite, glass, onyx, etc. 

Pumice. — This is in irregular lumps of various sizes 
and also in powdered form of different grades of fineness. 
It is used for scouring iron and steel, for sand buffing 
and also quite extensively for grinding glass. 

Emery. — This is a black or dark grey powder of 
various degrees of fineness. It is principalh^ used on 
leather wheels of different kinds, also on strapping belts 
and canvas wheels for grinding iron, steel and brass, also 
glass. 



92 

Emery Glue. — This is in flake or powdered form, 
and is used for coating wheels of various kinds in order 
to hold the emery to them. 

Vienna Lime. — This is in both lump and powdered 
form. It is used principally for dry buffing or "wiping 
off." 

Buffs. (Mops). — These are formed of a number of 
layers and are made of various kinds of muslin, etc., and 
are used on lathes for polishing and buffing all metals, the 
material depending upon the class of work ; bleached 
muslin, printers' ink, patent white and patent piece 
sewed buffs being generally used for "cutting down" or 
polishing and unbleached muslin and canton flannel 
buffs for "coloring" or buffing. 

Polishing Wheels. — These are leather covered wood 
wheels, solid leather wheels of walrus, bullneck, buff 
leather, etc., canvas, sheepskin and felt. For grinding 
and polishing, the leather wheels are "setup" with 
emery and glue, the canvas and sheepskin with patent 
emery compound, and the felt with emery and glue or 
patent emery compound, but in the case of buffing, for 
which felt is often used, with crocus composition, patent 
white polish or rouge. 

Solid Emery Wheels. — These are of various grades 
of fineness, and are used solely for grinding. 

Polishing or Strapping Belts. — These are of various 
kinds, principally of rubber and canvas, or canvas alone, 
sewed. They are used on belt strapping machines set 
up with emery and glue for polishing parts of articles 
which it is impossible to do on wheels. 

Scouring or Platers' Brushes. — These are made of 
tampico and bristles, and are from one to six row. They 



93 

are used for cleaning and scouring the work before and 
after plating. 

Potash Brushes. — These are made of cotton and are 
used for cleaning work where salicornia Ij^e or potash 
is used. 

Wheel Brushes. — These are circular in form and are 
made of tampico and bristles. They are used principally 
with emery and oil or patent emery compound, for 
polishing sheet brass, etc. 

Scratch Brushes. — These are circular in form and 
are made of brass, steel, German silver and copper 
wire of different guages. They are used for various 
purposes, namely : cleaning castings, smoothing, polish- 
ing and matting all metals, the kind and guage of wire 
used depending upon the class of work. 



94 



CHAPTKR XXIV. 

USEFUL INFORMATION. 

Transmission of Power. —In all mechanical processes 
it is very important that the means for the transmission 
of power should be carefully considered. In this regard 
there are several points to be observed. 

Hangers should be in perfect alignment, and not too 
far apart ; shafting should be straight and not too small ; 
and pulleys should be as light as possible, consistent 
with strength, and well balanced. 

Countershafts should not be run at high speed. 
This can be avoided by making the driving pulley as 
large as possible. In this way a greater belt velocity 
can be obtained on the driving pulley without increasing 
its revolutions. 

Wood pulleys in most cases are preferable to iron 
ones, as they weigh much less and will transmit more 
power, the friction on them being greater. The face of 
pulleys should be crowned, as in this way they will over- 
come in a measure the defects of non-alignment. 

Belts should be run with their hair side against the 
pulleys, as that side will give greater friction. By using 
a first-class belt dressing the adhesion is increased and 
the tension of the belt may in a degree be reduced, 
thereby lessening the friction on bearings and saving 
power. Vertical belts should be avoided, as in this 
position they must be stretched tight on the pulleys to 
gain any adhesion. 

Two pulleys of greatly different diameters should 
not be belted too near to each other, as the angle or arc 
of contact between belt and pulley is what determines 



95 



the friction or driving capacity of a belt. The angle of 
contact on the smaller one being comparitively small, 
would render it liable to slip. 



HOW TO CALCULATE SPEED AND DIAMETERS 
OF PULLEYS. 

Let A represent diameter of driving pulley. 

Let B represent revolutions per minute of driving 
pulley. 

Let C represent diameter of driven pulley. 

Let D represent revolutions per minute of driven 
pulley. 

To find D multiply A hy B and divide by C. 

To find C multiply ^ by ^ and divide by D. 

To find B multiply D hy C and divide by A. 

To find A multiply D hy C and divide by B. 



DIRECTIONS FOR CALCULATING THE WIDTH OF BELTS 

REQUIRED FOR TRANSMITTING DIFFERENT 

NUMBERS OF HORSE=POWER. 

Multiply 33,000 by the numbers of horse power to 
be transmitted, divide the amount by the number of feet 
the belt is to run per minute ; divide the quotient by the 
number of feet or parts of a foot in length of belt contact 
with smaller drum or pulley ; divide the last quotient by 
six, and the result is the required width of a leather belt 
in inches. 

Explanations. — The figure 33,000 represents the 
number of pounds a horse is reckoned to be able to raise 



96 

one foot high in a minute. To obtain the number of feet 
a belt runs in a minute find the number of revolutions per 
minute of the driving shaft and multiply by the circum- 
ference of the drum, which is always 3. 1416 its diameter. 
The final division by six is because half a pound raised 
one foot high per minute is allowed to each square inch 
of belting in contact with the pulley ; a pound must, 
therefore, be allowed to two square inches, or six pounds 
to a strip one foot long and one inch wide. 

Example.— Required the width of a single belt, the 
velocity of which is to be 1,500 feet per minute ;.it has to 
transmit 10 horse-power, the diameter of the smaller 
drum being four feet with five feet of its circumference 
in contact with the belt. 

33,000X10=:330,000-^1, 500=220^5=44 — 6=7 >^ 
inches, the required width of belt. 



DIRECTIONS FOR CALCULATING THE NUMBER OF 
HORSE=POWER WHICH A BELT WILL TRANSMIT. 

Divide the number of square inches of belt in 
contact with the pulley by two ; multiply this quotient 
by the velocity of the belt in feet per minute ; again we 
divide the total by 33, 000. and the quotient is the 
number of horse-power. 

Explanations. — The early division by two is to 
obtain the number of pounds raised one foot high per 
minute, half a pound being allowed to each square inch 
of belting in contact with the pulley. 

Example.— A six-inch single belt is being moved 
with a velocity of 1,200 feet per minute, with four feet of 



97 

its length in contact with a three foot drum. Required 

the horse-power : 

6X48=288-^-2=144X1, 200=l72,800-^33,O00=say 

5j{ horse-power. 

It is safe to reckon that a double belt will do half as 
much work again as a single one. 

Hints to Users of Belts — 1. Horizontal, inclined 
and long belts give a much better effect than vertical and 
short belts. 

2. Short belts require to be tighter than long ones. 
A long belt working horizontally increases the grip by 
its own weight. 

8. If there is too great a distance between the 
pulleys, the weight of the belt will produce a heavy sag, 
drawing so hard on the shaft as to cause great friction at 
the bearings, while at the same time the belt will have 
an unsteady motion, injurious to itself and to the 
machinery. 



CONTENTS OF VESSELS. 

To find the number gallons a tank or other vessel 
will hold, divide the numl^er of cubic inches it contains 
by 231. 

If rectangular, multiply together the length, breadth 

and depth. 

If cylindrical, multiply the square of the diameter by 
0.7854, and the product by the depth. 

If conical, add together squares of diameters of top 
and bottom, and the product of the two diameters. 
Multiply their sum by 0.7854, and the resulting product 
by the depth. Divide the product by 3. 



98 



If hemispherical, to three times the square of the 
radius at top add the square of the depth. Multiply this 
sum by the depth and the product by 0.5236. 



AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT. 





==Ounces, 


= Drams. 


= Grains. 


= Grams. 


1 Pound 


16 
1 
0.062 


256 
16 

1 


7,000 
437.5 
27.34 


453 25 


1 Ounce 

1 Dram 


28.33 
1.77 







TROY WEIGHT. 





= Ounces. 


= Dwt. 


= Grains. 


= Grams. 


1 Pound 


12 
1 
0.05 


240 

20 

1 


5,760 

480 

24 


372 96 


1 Ounce 


31 08 


1 Pennyweight. . . 


1.55 



99 






3 
U. 

< 

mm 

u 

Q. 



•s.iaiouinnr)Q 
oiquQ = 


•7? O OO i.O O 

^ i.o CO CO i6 d 

•«* CO j- CO TO 




•s.ia^iq = 


CO 

T-H jc t- 00 CO o 

:^^^§§§§ 

':*^' t4 d d d d 

1 


■saipui 
oiqno = 


277.276 

69.319 

34.659 

1.733 

0.217 

0.0036 


•sniB.if) ni 


70,000 
17,500 
8,750 
437.5 
54.7 
0.91 


suiinij^ = 


O O O op T-H 

cc'croi" 


g 
pini^= g^S^^^ 

<?■■} CO T— 1 j 


•saouno 


160 
40 
20 

0.125 
0.0021 


•S-^UTJ == 


ooornddd 


•^j^n^ == 


»0 CO o 

'^ i-H d d d d 


1 


c 




1 Fluid Ounce 

1 Fluid Dram 

1 Minim. 





100 



NUMERICAL RELATIONS OF THERMOMETRIC 

SCALE5. 

9 Fahrenheit degrees equal 5 Centigrade degrees, or 4 Reaumur 
degrees. 

To convert — 

Fahr. to Cent. . .subtract 

" " Reaumur " 

Cent. " Fahr. multiply by 

" " Reaumur ... " " . 

Reaumur to Fahr.... " " . 

" Cent.... " 



32 multiply by 5 and divide by 9 

32 " " ....4 " " " 9 

9 divide by 5 and add 32 

4 and divide by.. 5 
9 divide by 4 and add 32 

5 and divide by.. 4 

I 212 



Example to convert 212 Fahr. to Centigrade. 



I 9)900 

\ 100 Cent. 



TABLE OF USEFUL NUMERICAL DATA. 

1 millimeter equals , 03937 inches. 

1 centimeter '' 39370 

1 decimeter *' 3.93700 

1 meter '* 39.37000 

1 cubic centimeter of | 

water equals J 

1 liter " 1000. 

1 " - .... I 35.275 jounces by 

1 gallon (or 160 fluid | 

ounces) equals j 

1 gallon " 277.276 cubic inches. 

1 pint (or 20 fluid ^ ^^^^^^ ,, 

ounces) equals . . ) 

1 fluid ounce equals 1.733 " 

1 liter " 61.024 '* 

1 avoirdupois 

pound equals 



Gram. 



measure. 
4.536 liters. 



3is j 

5... s 



7000. 



grains. 



101 

1 troy pound equals 5760. grains. 

1 avoirdupois ounce ] .ow k <* 

equals ) 

1 troy ounce equals 480. 

1 avoirdupois drm. ^ ,^-^ ^a << 

equals ) 

1 troy pennyweight I ^^ ,, 

equals ) 

1 gram equals 15.43 

1 kilogram " 15432. 

1 liter of water equals 15432. 

1 cubic inch of water | ^eo k «< 

equals \ 

1 cubic centimeter of ) ., _^^^ 

(..... 1. gram. 

water equals \ 

1 kilogram equals 35.274 avoir- 
dupois ozs. 



TABLE OF ELECTRIC CONDUCTING POWERS 

OF METALS. 

(Mathieson.) 



Conducting 
Powers. 

Silver 100. 

Copper 99.9 

Gold 77.9 

Zinc 29. 

Cadmium 23.7 

Platinum 18. 

Cobalt 17.2 

Iron 16.8 

Nickel 13.1 



Conducting 
Powers. 

Tin 12.4 

Thallium 9.2 

Lead 8.3 

Arsenic 4.8 

Antimony 4.6 

Mercury 1.6 

Bismuth 1.2 

Graphite 069 

Gas Coke 038 



103 

ANTIDOTES FOR POISONS USED IN THE PLATING 

ROOM. 

Nitric, Hydrochloric or Sulphuric Acids. — Admin- 
ister abundance of tepid water to act as an emetic, or 
swallow milk, the whites of eggs, some calcined magnesia, 
or a mixture of chalk and water. If those acids, in a 
concentrated state, have been spilled on the skin, apply 
a mixture of whiting and olive oil. If the quantity is 
very small, simple swilling with plenty of cold water will 
suffice. A useful mixture, in cases of burning with 
strong sulphuric acid, is formed with one ounce of quick- 
lime slaked with a quarter of an ounce of water, then 
adding it to a quart of water. After standing some time, 
pour off the clear liquid and mix it with olive oil to form 
a thin paste. 

Potassium Cyanide, Hydrocyanic Acid, etc. — If 

cyanides, such as a drop of an ordinary plating solution, 
has been accidently swallowed, water, as cold as possible, 
should be run on the head and spine of the sufferer, and 
a dilute solution of iron acetate, citrate, or tartrate 
administered. If hydrocyanic acid vapors have been 
inhaled, cold water should be applied as above, and the 
patient be caused to inhale atmospheric air containing a 
little chlorine gas. It is a dangerous practice to dip the 
arms into a plating solution to recover any work that has 
fallen off the wires, because the skin often absorbs 
cyanide liquids, causing painful sores. In such a case, 
wash well with water, and apply the olive oil and lime 
water mixture. 

Alkalies. — These bodies are the opposite of acids in 
character, so that acids may be used as antidotes. It is 
preferable to employ weak acids, such as vinegar or 



103 

lemonade ; but if these are not at hand, then use exceed- 
ingly dilute sulphuric acid or even nitric acid diluted, so 
that it just possesses a decidedly sour taste. After about 
ten minutes take a few teaspoonfuls of olive oil. 

Mercury Salts.— The white of an egg is the best 
antidote in this case. Sulphur and sulphuretted hydro- 
gen are also serviceable for the purpose. 

Copper Salts.— The stomach should be quickly 
emptied by means of an emetic, or in want of this, the 
patient should thrust his finger to the back of his throat 
so as to tickle the uvula, and thus induce vomiting. 
After vomiting, drink milk, white of an egg, or gum 
wafer. 

Lead Salts. — Proceed as in case of copper salts. 
Lemonade, soda water and sodium carbonate are also 
serviceable. 

Acid Vapors. — Admit immediately an abundance of 
fresh air, and inhale the vapors of ammonia, or a few^ 
drops of ammonia may be put into a glass of water and 
the solution drunk. Take plenty of hot drinks and excite 
warmth by friction. Employ hot foot-baths to remove the 
blood from the lungs. Keep the throat moist by sipping 
milk. 

Removal of Stains, etc. — To remove stains of 
copper sulphate, or salts of mercury, gold, silver, etc., 
from the hands, wash them with a very dilute solution of 
ammonia, and then with plenty of water ; if the stains 
are old ones they should be rubbed with the strongest 
acetic acid, and then treated as above. 

Grease, oil, tar, etc., may be removed from the 
hands or clothes by rubbing with a rag saturated with 
benzine, turpentine, or carbon bi-sulphide. 



105 



INDEX. 

Page. 

Acid, Arsenious 83 

" Aqua Fortis 82 

" Boradc 82 

" Citric 82 

" Muriatic 82 

" Nitric 82 

'♦ Oil of Vitriol 82 

*♦ Sulphuric 82 

Acetate of Copper 88 

Acetate of Lead 89 

Ammonia, Aqua 83 

Chloride 84 

Hydrate 83 

" Muriate of (see Ammonia Chloride) 84 

** Sulphate 87 

** Sulphide 84 

Ampere 13 

Anodes, Nickel 47 

*' Patent Corrugated Nickel 50 

Antidotes for Poisons used in Plating Room 102 

Antique Dip 79 

Aqua Fortis 82 

Armature of Dynamos 9 

Arsenic, White 83 

Arsenious Acid 83 

Auric Chloride 85 

Avoirdupois Weight, Table of 98 

Basic Salt, Formation of, Nickel Solution, cause and remedy 54 

Batteries, Bunsen ; 31 

" Smee 30 

" Parallel arrangement of 32 

** Series arrangement of 32 

" Series Parallel arrangement of 32 

Belts, hints to users of 97 

** to calculate the width required for transmitting power. . 95 
•' Polishing or Strapping 92 



106 

Page. 

Bicarbonate of Soda 86 

Bichloride of Platinum 85 

Bichromate of Potash 83 

Bicycle Work, Best Voltage for Nickel Plating 61 

Cleaning of 60 

" Finishing or Buffing 61 

. *' Nickel Plating 58 

: " Polishing .....'58 

Bisulphide of Carbon .'84 

Bisulphite of Soda ^ 88 

Bitartrate of Potash 88 

Black Brass Dip ....'79 

Black Composition, Patent 91 

Blue Vitriol 87 

Boracic Acid 82 

Brass, Polishing Sheet 42 

Brass Castings, Preparing and Polishing 41 

Brass Plating 67 

" . Cleaning the work 67 

" Finishing after ^.69 

" Remedy for Red Streaks on Articles after. .. . . . 67 

Working the Solution 67 

Bright Acid Dip 79 

Britannia Metal, Polishing 42 

Bronze Plating 65 

" caution to be observed in 66 

. " Cleaning work for 65 

" Finishing the work 66 

Working the Solution 66 

Brushjes, Dynamo 9 

" Dynamo, position on Commutator 16 

Bristle 93 

•' . Circular 93 

',*._ Cotton.. .93 

Platers.... .'. 92 

, ", . Potash .V. 93 

" Scouring '.'. 92 

" . Scratch 93 

" Tampico "93 

Wire -98 



107 

Page. 

Buffing Nickel Plated Work 57 

Buffs : .'92 

Bunsen Baiteries... .i • 31 

Burning of Work in Nickel Plating 1 -'52 

Buraishing 73 

Butter of Zinc '-' 84 

Carbonate of Copper .86 

"Nickel .....'87 

" " ^oda ^.■.- 86 

" Zinc 87 

Carbon Bisulphide. 84 

Cast Iron, Preparing and Polishing ., 40 

Caustic Potash * < ^ 83 

" Soda 33 

Chemicals used in Plating Room. '. 82 

Chloride of Ammonia '• 84 

" *' Copper .' '^84 

"Gold 85 

V Nickel. 84 

"Platinum .'85 

" Silver 85 

"Tin '84 

" Zinc .'84 

Citric Acid .,... '82 

Cleaning Compound. .-. . .89 

Cleaning Metals for Nickel Plating.. .43 

Commutators, Dynamo 9 

Composition, Crocus 90 

Patent Black ..91 

SandBuffing... 90 

Tripoli 90 

Conductors, size of.. ..25 

Connections or Joints 27 

Contents of Vessels, how to ascertain. . . ; : 97 

Copper, Polishing Sheet ; ". 42 

' .". Acetate '. 88 

-' Carbonate 86 

Chloride.. 84 

" Cyanide.... , 86 

Plating 63 



108 

Page. 

Copper Plating Bicycle Parts, before Nickel Plating 60 

" " Cleaning Work for 63 

*' " Finishing Work after 63 

** *' Caution to be observed in 63 

" Difficulties encountered and their remedies. ... 63 

" Solution, to build up a 64 

" Solution, working a 63 

Sulphate 87 

Copperas 87 

Corrugated Nickel Anodes, Patent 50 

Cream of Tarter 88 

Crocus Composition 90 

Cut-out Plug 28 

Cyanide of Copper 86 

" ** Potassium 85 

"Silver 86 

"Zinc 86 

Diameter of Pulleys, how to calculate 95 

Dips, Antique 79 

" Black Brass. .. : 79 

" BrightAcid 79 

" Gold 80 

" Ormulo 79 

" Platinum 80 

" Silver 80 

" Silver Oxydizing 79 

Dynamo Electric Machines 9 

Dynamos, Improved American Giant 14 

" Multipolar American Giant 18 

Dynamo and Tanks, arrangement of 21 

Electric Conducting Powers of Metals 101 

" Current most suitable for Gold Plating 75 

'• Nickel Plating 49 

" Silver Plating 72 

" Bicycle Work 61 

" " for Plating, Sources of 7 

Electro Deposition by Dynamo 9 

Electrical Arrangement of a Plating Plant 21 

Electrical Terms 13 

Electrolysis, What takes place in the Nickel Solution during.... 48 



109 

Page, 

Electrotyping Solution, how to make a 78 

Emery 91 

Cake 90 

Compound 90 

Glue 93 

Paste 90 

Wheels 92 

Ferric Sulphide 84 

Field Magnets 9 

Finishing Silver Plated Articles 73 

Galvanoplasty 77 

Glaze Wheel, To make a 40 

Glue, Emery 93 

Gold, Chloride 85 

Gold Dip 80 

Gold, Muriate of 85 

Gold Plating 75 

Grease or Glaze Wheel, To make a 40 

Green Sand Work Preparing and Polishing 41 

Handle Bars, To Polish Bicycle 59 

Hooks, Nickel 57 

Horn, Silver 85 

Horse Power, how to calculate the amount, a belt will transmit. 96 

Hydro Sulphide of Ammonia 84 

Hyposulphite of Soda 88 

Imperial Fluid Measure 99 

Improved American Giant Dynamos 14 

Iron Ammonium Sulphate 87 

Iron Sulphate 87 

Iron Sulphide, (see Ferric Sulphide) 84 

Iron Work, Preparing and Polishing Cast 40 

Joints or Connections 27 

Lacquering 81 

Lacquers, uses of 81 

Lead Acetate , . 89 

Lead, Sugar of 89 

Lime, Vienna 93 

Liver of Sulphur 83 

Lye, Salicornia 89 

Mercuric Nitrate 88 



110 

Page. 

Mops, (see Buffs) 92 

Multipolar American Giant Dynamos 18 

Muriate of Ammonia, (see Ammonia Chloride) 84 

" Gold ^85 

" Tin, (see Tin Chloride) 84 

" Zinc 84 

Muriatic Acid = ., 83 

Nickel Anodes 47 

" Importance of having sufficient surface of . . . .... 49 

" " Patent Corrugated 50 

Nickel Ammonia Sulphate 88 

Nickel Carbonate ,. , .'. 87 

Chloride. ,. =., 84 

Hooks ,.,... 57 

Plating , ,....., 47 

Bicycle Parts 60 

" Buffing or Finishing the work after 57 

" Burning of the work, and remedy for same.. 52 

. , " Cleaning metals for 43 

" Dark Deposit in, and remedy for same 52 

* ' Electric Curren t for 49 

" Length of Time to leave work in Bath 56 

"Pitting" of the work. 53 

" Cause and remedy of Reddish Deposit 54 

" Stringing work in 55 

On Zinc 57 

Salts Double, (see Nickel Ammonia Sulphate) 88 

" Single, (see Nickel Sulphate) 88 

Solution, too acid and remedy for 51 

" . Cause of becoming too Alkaline and remedy 51 

'' Cleaning a * 55 

'• Crystallization of, cause and remedy for 53 

" Difficulties encountered in working and their 

remedies. 51 

" Forming of Basic Salt in, cause. and remedy 54 

Tomakea... 47 

Sulphate ,. . 88 

Nitrate of Mercury 88 

" Silver 88 

Nitric Acid 82 



Ill 

Page. 

Numerical Data, Table of useful 100 

Ohm or Resistance 13 

Oil of Vitriol 82 

Ormulo Dip "^^ 

"Oxytin"' or Putty Powder 91 

Parallel Arrangement of Batteries 32 

Patent Black Composition 91 

'• Corrugated Nickel Anodes, Advatanges of 50 

' ' Emery Compound 90 

White Polish 91 

"Pitting" of the work in Nickel Plating 53 

Platers' Brushes 92 

Plating, Brass - 67 

" Bronze 65 

" Copper, 63 

Gold 75 

Nickel 47 

Silver 71 

Tin 76 

" Plant, Electrical Arrangement of 21 

" Room, Arrangement of .38 

Room, Chemicals used in 82 

" Plan of 37 

Platinum Chloride 85 

Dip 80 

Plug Cutout '28 

" Switch 17 

Poisons, Antidotes for 102 

Polishing Bicycle Work 58 

Wheels. 40 

" Room, Articles used in 90 

" or Strapping Belts 92 

Wheels 92 

Potash, Caustic. , . . 83 

Bruslies 92 

Potassium, Bichromate 83 

Bitartrate. 88 

" , Cyanide 85 

Hydrate 83 

' ' Sulphurett 83 



112 

Page. 

Power, Transmission of 94 

Preparing and Polishing Metals 40 

Pumice 91 

Putty Powder 91 

Pyrophosphate of Soda 88 

Reddish Deposit in Nickel Plating, cause and remedy 54 

Resistance or Ohm 13 

Boards 35 

Rods, Tank 26 

Rouge 91 

Salammoniac 84 

Salicornia Lye 89 

Sal Soda 86 

Sand Buffing Composition 90 

Scouring Brushes 92 

Scratch Brushes 92 

Series Arrangement of Batteries 32 

Series Parallel Arrangement of Batteries 32 

Silver Chloride 85 

Cyanide 86 

Dip 80 

Nitrate 79 

Oxydizing Dip 79 

Plating 71 

'* Cleaning the work 71 

** Striking Solution , 71 

Plated Articles, Finishing of 72 

Smee Batteries 30 

Snowflake Polish 91 

Soda, Caustic 83 

Sodium, Bicarbonate . •. 86 

Bisulphite 88 

" Carbonate 86 

'* Hyposulphite 88 

* * Pyrophosphate 88 

Solution, Brass 67 

Bronze 65 

** Copper 63 

Electrotyping 78 

Gold 75 



113 

Page. 

SoltitioD, Nickel 47 

Silver 71 

Tin 76 

Tanks 39 

Speed of Pulleys, to calciihite 95 

Stains, to remove 103 

Stove Trimmings, to prepare for Nickel Plating 45 

Strapping Belts 93 

Striking Solution for Silver Plating 71 

Stringing the work for Nickel Plating 55 

Sugar of Lead B9 

Sulphate of Ammonia 87 

** Copper 87 

Iron 87 

Iron and Ammonia 87 

Nickel 88 

" Nickel and Ammonia 88 

Zinc 88 

Sulphide or Sulphurett of Ammonia 84 

" •' of Iron (see Ferric Sulphide) 84 

" " of Potassium 83 

Sulphur, Liver of 83 

Sulphuretted Hydrogen Gas, to Make 54 

" " " Apparatus for Making 54 

Sulphuric Acid 82 

Switchboards 35 

Tanks for Solutions 39 

Tartar, Cream of 88 

Thermometric Scales, to Convert 100 

Tin Crystals 84 

" Chloride 84 

•' Muriate of (sec Tin Chloride) 84 

•' Plating 76 

Transmission of Power 94 

Tripoli Composition 90 

Troy Weight, Table of 98 

Useful Information.'. 94 

Verdigris 88 

Vienna Lime 92 

Vitriol, Blue 87 



114 

Page. 

Vitriol, Oil of 83 

White 88 

Volt 13 

Voltmeters 36 

Weight, Table of Avordupois 98 

Troy 98 

Wheels, Brush . . 93 

Buff Leather 92 

Bull Neck 92 

♦• Canvas 92 

" Emery 92 

Felt 92 

' * Leather Covered Wood 92 

Sheepskin 92 

Walrus ...92 

White Arsenic • . . 83 

Polish, Patent 91 

" Vitriol •• 88 

Zinc, Butter of -84 

' ' Carbonate 87 

" Chloride 84 

•• Cyanide 86 

•' Muriate of • 84 

" Sulphate 88 



